Without a Title
by Miki231
Summary: Emotions are a weakness. Everything you see, everything you are, is a lie. There's something off about Mikan Sakura, the new transfer student from America. Who she is, what she stands for. What her connection is to the AAO and Natsume Hyuuga. In-Progress
1. Chapter One: Beginning

Hi, I'm Miki231 and I'm pretty new to the Fanfiction business. I read a lot, but I don't really write much. I have on and off spurts of inspiration. I have writer's block sometimes, so I would really appreciate it if I could get some reviews or even some ideas for me to continue this story. I'll have to warn everyone that I might not update for really long times, though. I'm really sorry, but please help!!! xD

I haven't quite decided details in my head yet, but I'll get back to you all with how old everyone is and everything. I know for sure they are in noway as hell elementary or middle school students. I just need the details haha.

Disclaimer: I don't own schnap. So... yeah.

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Modern century Japan, in the hidden outskirts of Tokyo, there was a secret area that confined gifted children with Alices. Alices were special powers that were found in bloodlines or miraculously developed. Children from all over Japan were taken from their homes and placed in this Academy, Alice Academy. There were some with unique alices. Useless, but unique in their own way. Others were typical alices stereotypically said in the "normal" world such as mindreading and illusions. There were alices that affected the body of the user, such as super speed or the animal pheromone where animals are attracted to the user. But there was a final class of alices that were a danger to themselves and those around him. These were powerful alices, some that endangered the user's own life, and were used offensively and defensively to ensure the Academy's safety. These users were agents of the Academy itself, weapons against the dangerous enemy of the Academy, Anti-Alice Organization, or AAO. The AAO was an elite organization consisting of powerful alice users against the Academy. Some have perceived grudges because they themselves worked as agents inside the Academy, and despise the hell they were put through. Others are minions, constantly following orders without thought or feeling.

Inside this Academy there was a classroom, a class of friends who had grown up together since childhood. They had been through thick and thin and were one of the most talked about classes within the Academy. Pretty strange? They were, after all, just a normal 2-B Class of the Middle School division. It might not have been the entire class's own accomplishment, but rather the popularity of a few certain students within it. Let's start with the first, and prince-like one. Ruka Nogi. Wielder of the animal pheromone, Ruka is kind-hearted and brave, although he may seem cold in the presence of his best friend. With messy blonde hair and striking blue eyes, Ruka is well admired for his control over his alice and his friendly attitude.

Ruka is often blackmailed by his one and only girl friend, Hotaru Imai, the genius pride and joy of the Academy. She has the alice of Invention, and has invented many things that have become internationally useful. She has her own fanclub because of her shoulder length black hair and emotionless violet (or amethyst) coloured eyes. How does Ruka Nogi get along with Hotaru Imai so well, considering they are quite the opposites in personality? Hotaru is outwardly emotionless, and loves money, but when it comes to it she cares deeply for her close friends.

And now the absolute heartthrob of the entire Alice Academy. Natsume Hyuuga. Messy dark raven black hair that frames cold, sharp striking crimson red eyes. His eyes that glare hard and seem to be filled with such anger and pain. Natsume is the only user in the entire school with the dangerous Fire Alice. Both his alice and his severely cold attitude that both shuns society and subsides in the darkness attract many fangirls and also danger. Natsume, powerful and useful to the Academy, is one of the secret agents of the Academy. Since he had burned down his entire town and been taken into the Academy, he has lived in hell. Missions after missions, torture and the Dangerous Ability teacher threatening him after every turn. Natsume and Ruka are the best of friends, but for Natsume, he both appreciates Ruka's presence and finds him annoying and a handicap. For the sake of Ruka, Natsume has endured all of it.

But everything is about to change. How much ruckus can a certain brunette girl walking towards the gates of Alice Academy cause?

The sun was hot on the back of a security guard manning the booth that controlled the gate leading into the secretive grounds of a gifted school. The guard was sweating inside of his tight uniform. He complained loudly inside of his head, looking past the rim of his hat out into the distance. All he did was stand in front of that booth all day long and watch for visitors and/or potential students. John, which was his name, mentally groaned in his head as he glanced down at his wristwatch. A bare three hours to go until his shift was over and the lucky bastard who had afternoon/evening watch would take over. He shifted his choking tie a little. He was blinded momentarily by a ray of sunshine beaming into his face. Despite the comfortable booth, there was no fan, no air conditioning, hell, there wasn't even some Alice to cool him down. John looked up to see a figure striding towards the gate. In other words, his post.

John's eyes glazed over as the figure came within closer range, when John could clearly see who the figure was. With tiny clicks, black knee high boots encase slender legs and tiny feet. White pressed jeans served as pants. For a hot day, a light pink camisol showed off lightly tan even skin. Outrageous jewelry made jingles and jangles with each step the girl took. Gold bangles adorned her arms, and in every bangle several gems of different colours and shapes winked in the sunlight. Alice stones. A silver loose necklace hung at her throat with the symbol of a C with an X on the inside, and a vertical line crossing through them both. Luxurious dark auburn hair bounced freely as she walked, curling in ringlets and ending at her mid back.

John's mind was filled with incoherent thoughts, he couldn't seem to function properly as his eyes locked on the girl's smiling chocolate brown ones. His hand twitched violently in the direction of his radio, to alert the Academy of the enchanting intruder.

The clicks came to a stop a few feet in front of the bewildered guard. A cold smile spread across the pink lips of the girl. "Well..." her smooth voice sent shivers down the guard's body. His arm dangled against his side, uselessly. "Well..." The girl inched a little closer to him. He tried desperately to look away from her mezmerizing, frigid gaze. "Well... What do we have here...?" she asked softly, slowly batting her eyelashes to take in the guard's rigid appearance. She lifted a slender ringed hand to lightly touch the side of John's face, sliding it to the side of his face. John wasn't particularly old, nor was he as young as this girl here. What was she... He couldn't think anymore as his world suddenly turned black. The last thing he saw was the girl's smiling face, a demonic glint in those deep chocolate eyes.

The brunette stepped away from the collapsed body with a laugh. It was always so fun to mess with random people, especially when she was in the mood to use her pheromone Alice. One of the many Alices that the girl wielded. She was born with the strongest Alice combination in the world. It was only natural that she had the right to flaunt them as she pleased. The girl placed her hands on her hips, looking straight at the gate with a frown on her face. The gate was barred, and stretched well above her position, almost fifty feet high into the air with Alice barriers surrounding it. Not to mention the intense barbed wire (that was invisible) and the brick wall that acted as a "normal" feature. It didn't take an Alice of Strength to break down such a simple wall. The girl cracked her neck from side to side and tilted it to look at the gate once more. She didn't even bother glancing at the unconscious guard.

As if on cue, the gates spread open slowly, creaking. And it seemed the girl wasn't at all irked that the gate had opened without an actual person openning it. The girl shivered at the sound of creaking, however. How she despised the sound. That, and the sound of a knife scraping against a fork. Just one of those human reactions that she couldn't help but feel. Emotions on the other hand...

"Aniki!" the girl called cheerfully, stepping forward and beginning her graceful walk once more. The pathway was a long one. Cherry blossom trees lined the sides, their blossoms just beginning to bloom. Somewhere far off from this girl's position, a raven-haired Firecaster was sitting in a tree with a manga covering his sleeping face. He felt a powerful presence enter the grounds of Alice Academy and instinctively surged to his feet and against the tree. Ruka, sitting against the trunk, looked up at the sudden movement, surprised. "What is it, Natsume?" "Nothing," Natsume replied, shaking his head. He could have sworn that bastard of a teacher was nearby. But the aura was a bit off, a bit more powerful. Stronger. And, though Natsume would never acknowledge it, a bit more fearful.

The Black Cat wasn't the only one to feel the presence. Clad in white and black attire, with a plain white mask covering his eyes and Alice restraints hanging from his wrists and fingers, Persona twitched at the familiar feeling of someone else's power. A smirk crossed his face. She was back. Persona grabbed the dagger within his waist belt and turned on spot.

The girl was whistling happily, strolling down the way with her hands hooked behind her back. Her usual, natural happy face was in place with a bright smile flitting on her lips. She stopped in her tracks suddenly, humming and looking straight at a spot in front of her. "Aniki," she said again. Her tone was lightly scolding but playful. With a crack, Persona appeared kneeling in the exact spot the girl was looking at. They locked eyes through Persona's mask, but this older man did not falter or become delirious. "Brat," Persona said, emotionlessly, staring straight back at the girl. For the Dangerous Ability Advisor, all of his subordinates would have a heart attack if they knew he was teasing a girl. "What brings you here?" he asked stoically.

She smiled brightly at him. "I was so bored in America!" she said, pouting, "They're no fun. They take us agents way too seriously, it was so boring!" She complained. She shifted her weight to her left leg, placing a hand on her hip and holding out the other to Persona. "I either had to finish the mission with at least a bullet wound--because they thought I was so weak--or I was punished for being a 'coward'," she scoffed at the word as Persona slowly got to his feet. His dark eyes searched the girl's rather pretty face. Anyone competent should have realized that the young woman in front of him was nowhere near a coward. He took her slender hand in his pale, jeweled one and bent to press his lips against it. His lips brushed her knuckles lightly. She smiled wryly, looking past his head to the trees far away. "and the punishments could hardly be called punishments. They were such pathetic excuses for pain," she growled, remembering the many beatings she had received for being insubordinate.

Her face contorted in stoic fury. There was no reason for half-assed people who thought they could do anything they wanted and get away with it. Persona twitched behind his mask. As quickly as it had come, the fury was erased and replaced by her normal attribute. An innocent face that was always forgiving, cheerful, and naive. She withdrew her hand from Persona's grasp. The brunette skipped past him and continued walking down the way. Persona straightened. He turned to follow her. He looked up and down her walking frame. She had gotten to mature over time. "Brat," the Dangerous Ability Advisor's voice was low and rough. Quiet even, but high enough for the girl to hear. She turned around, flicking her auburn hair. It caught in a light breeze and blew soft tresses. Her eyes were questioning. "What?" Even Persona's cold heart skipped a beat, but he was used to such things. "It's good to have you back," he said gruffly. The girl paused. Her lips curled over pearl-white teeth. Her smile was dazzling. "Thank you, Aniki!" she giggled, "It's good to be back."

She turned around as Persona came beside her. Two pairs of feet, both covered in boots (oddly, one was much larger than the other, masculine) walked together up the pathway towards Alice Academy. Did the Academy know what was about to happen with the return of Mikan Sakura? The daughter of the high school Principal and the AAO's President. What a terrible combination, especially for this young woman who we still know nothing about. What she was doing here, what that symbol around her neck meant, and why there was an invisible red string attached to her pinkie finger. One that led to the Firecaster, Natsume Hyuuga. Polar opposites, well, we don't know what to expect yet.

Mikan Sakura was back. Prepare for Hell.

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Author: Well? What did you think? I did this a couple days ago, half of it in one night, but then I never got back to finishing it after awhile. Did that make sense... Yeah I know the grammar and some spelling was really messed up. I don't really care about grammar, more of my writing style. Rate and review please!!!


	2. Chapter Two: Morning

**Author: I'm winging this as I go. Phew. I never knew that fanfiction writing was so intense. Brief lapses of inspiration, and then it's gone. Please wish me luck in continuing to update, and pray for my flailing imagination.**

**Oh, I got the ages down. ^_^ The entire gang is in their final year of Middle School, and they are all fifteen/fourteen.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own any piece of Gakuen Alice, but I don't really know WHO it belongs to. I'll get back to you on that.**

**Thank you so much, all of my reviews so far have energized me tons. Thank you all!**

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P.S. Omigosh. It's so confusing to write something one chapter, and then write another the next. I had NO idea what or who they were! The ages especially. And I zoned with school and forgot to continue this... Sorry!**

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"Natsume..." What? What is that?... "Natsume..." Who is calling me?... "NATSUME!" Crimson eyes snapped open, glaring at its surroundings. Of course it was just a dream. There was no one calling Natsume Hyuuga's name. All the noise in the room was coming from the buzzing alarm clock on his side table. The Firecaster shoved aside his sheets. He placed his arm across his eyes. He really needed to calm down. Lying in his king-sized bed, the plush mattress was comfortable and still firm. The dark-haired fifteen-year-old was clad in black silk boxers. And nothing else. Yum. Those stalker fan girls would have died if they had seen him now. Natsume wasn't the heartthrob of the Academy for nothing. From various missions during his entire time there, he had gained a god-like body and devilish looks. Natsume reached over and shut off the annoying alarm clock. It blinked in red numbers the time. He was two hours late for class. But now wasn't the time to go to class. He always showed up late anyhow, he had an excuse. Missions equal excrutiating pain. Nothing happened in classes either.

Now was the time to wonder what the hell that dream about. Annoyed, Natsume groaned. The cool breeze from his open window brushed his rather warm body. His left arm draped against his hard abs. His right covered his eyes, making him see all black. He was brought back to the place where he reluctantly resided...

~Dream~ +author: I know this is going to be really crappy... Sorries..+

There was a darkness. A darkness that surrounded him. He couldn't see anything in it, as his red eyes searched for some amount of light. It was just... black. He looked down at his hand, turning it back and forth. He could make out the light scars covering his arms and fingers. Even in his sleep, he could recognize and remember the training he had to go through. He looked down at his feet, and wiggled his toes. He was suspended in seemingly dark air, and was still able to make out the sillouette of his body. He was wearing his high school uniform in the regular way he wore it. Messy and loose. "Natsume..." A cool, feminine voice called his name. He whipped his head around to search for the source. The voice called him again, this time louder. It echoed in his ears, making them ring. He winced and clutched his hands to his ears. "Who is it?!" he called. His voice was unfamiliar to him, raspy and quiet. There was the voice again. It seemed further away; it was fading along with the darkness. Natsume blinked and shaded his eyes as a bright light broke through the black.

A distinct feminine voice screamed his name. "NATSUME!!!" His eyes shot towards a figure reaching out to him from the light. He could barely make out the silouette of a girl his age with striking chocolate brown eyes. They were overflowing with tears, but oddly those warm eyes were frosty, cold, and filled with excrutiating pain. His strong legs began running towards the girl. His eyes widened, seeing her lips form his name once more. His hand extended to reach hers before the entire dream was engulfed in flames. Those brown eyes were seared into his mind.

~End of dream~

And that's where he was now. Woken up, shaken up, and burning up. But that was because of his fire alice. Natsume sat up in his bed and placed his head between his knees. His hands clutched his hair. Natsume groaned. This was just one of those dreams that he couldn't let go of. But why?

A light knocking broke him out of his thoughts. "Natsume," came his best friend Ruka Nogi's voice from outside his door. Natsume looked up at the wooden door of his Special Star room. "I'm up, Ruka," he replied, getting up from his bed. He figured the other boy was here to wake him up for classes. Just because he did missions didn't mean he could skip out of TOO many classes, Ruka had said a few times. Natsume knew, with a smirk, that Ruka just needed cover from a certain Ice Queen. The door unlocked and opened slowly. The blonde-haired blue-eyed boy peeked in and glanced at Natsume's figure.

"Morning," the Firecaster murmured. He straightened and strode over to his bathroom. Ruka opened the door further and turned around to shut it. "Morning Natsume," he said brightly, petting the bunny curled in his arms. The shower turned on, hitting the tile as it began to warm up. Natsume closed the bathroom door slightly and stripped out of his boxers. He stepped into the shower. "How was last night's mission?" Ruka called over the rushing sound of the water. He walked over to the kitchen and placed his rabbit on the table. Natsume answered across the room. "That bastard paired me up with some new girl." Ruka opened the fridge looking for food. "She didn't know her left hand from her right and kept getting in my way." Ruka paused in mid-petting of his rabbit. He heard a light noise from the bathroom. Natsume punching the wall, he supposed. 'I could have killed her,' Natsume thought to himself, his bangs shadowing his face. The drops of water hit his body, steaming up the glass.

Ruka held out a carrot to his rabbit. She hopped towards it and took it in her paws. Ruka smiled as she nibbled on the tip of the carrot. In the back of his mind, he felt an odd twinge of foreboding. He ran a hand through his blonde hair and shifted in his chair. The last time he had this gut feeling, Natsume showed up from a mission half-dead. Ruka shrugged off the thought. He picked up his bunny and stood up. Turning, he saw Natsume emerge from the bathroom wearing a towel. Ruka made his way over to Natsume's clothing drawers as the other boy walked into his giant closet. "We're getting a new student today. Hotaru," Ruka spoke his girlfriend's name with low affection, "and Tobita announced it to the class before I left." He had just come from the classroom to check up on his best friend. After years of being Natsume's friend, he started to get a feel for leaving class when he wanted. Of course, he stayed as much as he could. A certain Blackmailer made sure of that.

He heard a "Hn" response from behind the closet door. Opening a drawer with one hand, Ruka reached in and grabbed a roll of dark coloured socks. Natsume opened the closet door halfway dressed. He was about to ask Ruka for some socks when Ruka lobbed the socks at his face, grinning. The bunny bobbed up and down, animal-listically laughing. Natsume dodged the roll of socks and glowered at Ruka. He scowled, before grinning a small smile, and ducking back into the closet. Natsume picked up the roll from the ground and finished getting dressed. "Let's go, Ruka," he said, throwing on an open supposed-to-be button up black shirt over his red T-shirt and jeans. Ruka nodded and shoved the drawer closed. They both exited the room.

"If there's a newbie, there's a chance you'll have them as a partner, Natsume," Ruka advised his friend as they walked down the corridors towards their class. "Hn. Who cares...," Natsume said, shoving his hands into his pockets. His cold demeanor was back up. He was going to be seen by his friends, remember? Only to Ruka did he actually care. Ruka eyed Natsume a bit before shrugging to himself.

Walking through the dorms to the Academy wasn't that long of a trip. Ruka distracted himself with his bunny and looking out towards the grounds. The Sakura trees were just beginning to bloom. He could hear the murmerings of all the animals in the forest, and the bunny in his arms chattering to him. Something about a new person coming into the grounds and shaking up the entire animal population. Ruka already knew about a new student, so that was nothing new. He zoned her out and matched his steps to his stoic best friend's.

They reached the door to Class 2-B of the Middle School division. In their last year of Middle School, they were going to move up for three more years in High School. Joy. From within they could hear their classmates and friends noisily talking. A brief thought flashed through Natsume's head. He only had three more years till he was free. Even if the Academy didn't let him go, he would leave no matter what. And he would take his sister with him too. Reaching a hand out to the door and glancing over at Ruka, he slammed open the door. Ruka didn't even wince. He was so used to it. The students inside stopped their in ruckess and turned to all silently look at the duo.

Ruka smiled at them all as he hurried after his friend. He glanced over the group of fangirls that included Sumire Shouda, a girl with permed green hair that was absolutely in "love" with his best friend. Everyone knew it was for shits and giggles though because Sumire was dating the bald-headed Mochu for a long time now. His blue eyes caught sight of the only person he wanted to see which was Hotaru Imai. His girlfriend. Awww... Ruka walked towards his seat beside her and sat down, smiling as she DIDN'T say anything. With shoulder-length black hair and amethyst/violet eyes, Hotaru Imai was the Ice Queen of Alice Academy. Supposedly she was emotionless, but fanboys were heartbroken when they found out that she and Ruka Nogi were dating. Hotaru nodded towards her boyfriend with a small, unnoticeable smile, and continued tinkering with her latest invention.

She didn't even flinch as a slamming noise was heard across the room. Ruka turned with confused eyes towards the back, where his best friend was standing. Looking from Natsume, his eyebrows furrowed at... What...

"Oi. What do you think you're doing here?"


	3. Chapter Three: The Day Before

**Hey, Miki231 is back! I kinda hate the ending I put on this chapter, but I didn't feel like continuing onto the next plotline and never finishing it. So, this is the day before the last chapter, when Mikan is first on the campus.**

**Once again, they are all around 14/15 years old and in the class 2B of the Middle School Division.**

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Disclaimer: Yeah I don't own anything. Wish I did, too bad I don't.**

It was always amusing to walk into her father's office and surprise him at his big, over-sized desk that was purposely put in the center of the room. Not the back or the front or the side; the direct center. It made no sense to Mikan, but since her father was the High School Division's principal, it gave him the right not to make sense at all. Decorated in her outfit from before, Mikan skipped in completely giddy and excited. Her normal personality. She was a cheerful ball of fun. Just don't mess with her. "Hello, father!~" she cried, gleefully coming forward to sit on the front edge of his desk. Buried in piles of paperwork, the High School Division Principal Akira Sakura was nfot the kind of man to be made fun of or to joke around. Because he had to overlook some of the most powerful Alice students and keep them in line, he would never be surprised when his fourteen-year-old daughter would show up. This was no surprise. Mikan was the wielder of the two powerfulest alices in the world, was the strongest agent in both the US and Japan Alice Academies, and it didn't take an idiot to sense her presence. Akira had knew when she showed up the second she stepped onto Japanese terrain.

"Hello, Mikan," he said, not looking up from his papers. He knew that if he had shown a better reaction, he would have been just amusing Mikan. "Back from America already? How was it?" Mikan pouted and glanced over at Persona who was standing stoically by the door. Mikan paused her answer just to irritate her father and took a glance around the room. It was similar to the American President's office. Circular shaped, the desk was in the center and there were bookcases behind it in the gap between the two windows, and there were plush couches around the sides and two armchairs in the front. There was a separate door to the left leading to the Principal's headquarters, meaning a hallway continuing to a bedroom and bathroom etc. From what Mikan could sense, there were a few Alice barriers radiating around the office as well as simmering off of her father's skin. She also knew there was a secret door two feet from the front right corner that was a hidden wall panel that one could smack and it would open. Her father had told her it was some kind of escape hatch or something else idiotic like that. This was the school for the Gifted. More than one person could track someone down. If they couldn't, they were idiots.

"Mikan, if you have nothing else to say other than 'Hello' I suggest you leave and get started on your missions. You're a Special Star just as before--" Mikan whirled on him, eyes widening considerably. Her hands slammed (technically. if *she* had actually slammed down hard, they would go through five floors) on the desk and caused all of Akira's papers to flutter to the ground. "No no no! That won't do! I can't be seen as special since I came back! Give me no star. I'd rather be a no star, it's SOOO much funner!" she said quickly to her father. Akira peered at her through his glasses, obviously losing his patience. He leaned back in his chair and folded his hands together, letting his elbows rest on the chair. The principal was dressed finely in a dark black pressed suit with a red tie. He had his own gold pen sitting in the pocket of his jacket. His black hair was gelled back into a presentable hairstyle. Some grey along the sides of his hair were beginning to show his old age. He was just as strong as ever, however. A brief silence followed Akira staring at his daughter and Mikan staring back innocently. "... Get back to work," he bit out coldly. Akira reached into the inside of his suit jacket and pulled out a small piece of jewelry from the inside pocket. He tossed it to Mikan without looking and returned to his work silently. Catching the jewelry easily, Mikan grinned, turned on heel and skipped out of the office, beckoning Persona after her. The double doors swung shut by themselves and left the Principal in isolation.

Walking down the empty corridors, Mikan busied herself with looking at the walls. A pleasant smile remained on her face, a cheerful look in her eyes. Despite being a strong Alice user, having relation to the two most powerful people in Alice world, and hanging out with the very slavedriver of the Dangerous Ability class, Persona, Mikan was pretty uneffected. She had just come back from America after four years and was ready to relax in her home country. Here she knew just about everyone was weak and she didn't have to worry about anything. She had to FIND OUT that everyone was weak in America. Here, she just knew. It was her home turf. No one could take her down. A smirk formed on her lips as Mikan looked at the different portraits of all the previous principals. She fingered the piece of jewelry she caught. Hmm. Her father did miss her, especially if he gave her this little toy to play with. Persona twitched behind his mask, and let his eyes slide to the young girl next to him. The girl beside him he affectionately called 'Brat' had been his pride and joy when he had trained her. So many years ago, and yet so much she had grown. She was strong when she had left, stronger than him. Here she was back again, still stronger than ever. Persona only felt kindness for this one person. Others could burn in hell for all he cared, because he was already burning.

"Brat." Mikan turned her attention to her big brother, smiling at him. "What?" The simple word, pleasant off her lips, made Persona's cold heart feel warmth for a bit. He knew his little sister, and she could be anywhere but warm, but this was who she was right now. "... Are you going to return to your position?" he asked lowly. The smile he received was dazzling. "Of course!" Now, what job that was, was yet to be revealed. You, as a reader, should already have a suspicion but I think I'll let the story continue before surprising you. "Before all that though, is there anything fun I can do before going to class tomorrow?" Mikan pouted at her Aniki, stopping to face and look up at him. Through the mask, she could smile at his hidden eyes and emotionless face. She knew he was more than that underneath. Persona almost smiled. Almost. His mouth twitched for a second before he spoke. "Tree. Nine o'clock tonight." Mikan smiled bigger at him. "Thanks, Aniki!" she quickly hugged his slim frame and skipped down the rest of the hall, disappearing mid-step. Persona smirked and disappeared at his spot.

A chill ran up Natsume's back just as he slammed his manga shut and looked to the side of him. Persona materialized there, leaning against the tree that Natsume was reading against, a smirk on his face. "Ten-thirty, Kuro Neko. You have a partner." This was why he loved his job. The little kitten looked like he was going to spit fire at him. Natsume glared at Persona, hatred spewing from his core. A string of inappropriate words flew through his head before he finally said, "They better not get in my way. I work **alone**." Persona had already teleported back to his office, completely unfazed by the Black Cat. Natsume glared at the very spot that violated his special place and set flame to his manga in his anger. Very out of character of him, but that bastard completely destroyed his day. Natsume didn't need a partner. He only needed to get through three more goddamn years at his hellhole and then he would be free. IF they let him go. As the fire flickered in Natsume's eyes, he watched his already finished manga burn, not hurting his hands as the ashes fell. Sighing, he got up and stuffed his hands in his pockets. With a few hours to kill before the mission, Natsume made his way up to his dorm.

Walking down the hall of the Special Stars dorm, Natsume sensed the presence of another person. The aura was weak, and somewhat disguised from what he could tell. Natsume tensed as he continued further down to his room. He could hear a girl whining about something and, as he came to a stop in front of his door, he saw her. She was exiting her room, slamming her door closed for that matter. He watched out the corner of his eyes, hands stuffed in his pockets. It was a new girl in a middle school uniform, a lot shorter than he was. She had long black hair that was tied into a loose side ponytail that hung over her shoulder. She was petite, pretty flat, and her legs weren't anything to talk about. The thing that caught his attention was the sparkling green eyes on her face. They were big, a dark shade of green that seemed to compare to emeralds. He only skimmed over the plain uniform and somewhat short skirt to see a small ring on her right index finger. It was made of all silver and had one emerald-cut sapphire in the middle of it. She also had a weird necklace on that was a C with an X in the middle with a vertical line crossing through it. All in all... she wasn't really that attractive. She was pretty ugly.

The girl seemed to hear his thoughts because she twitched and turned to face him. God if he wasn't blinded by that huge smile she flashed him. Coming closer to him, the girl smiled and held out her hand warmly. "Hi! I'm Mikan Sakura. Apparenly I'll be staying here for a little while until they get my star rank settled." Natsume stared at her with a cold look in his eyes. Who the hell did she think she was, coming up to him like that? And what about her star rank? How could a mere new student be hanging out in the Special Star wing? Normal transfers or new students were placed in a one-star dorm before getting leveled up or down star rank. It was unheard of to have a person be a temporary Special Star. The knowing look in her eyes made Natsume's eyes in suspicion. Mikan smirked on the inside as she kept a solid connection with Natsume's mind. The Black Cat. She knew of him. His suspicions about her were pretty impression, though it didn't take a high level agent like Mikan to realize there was something off about her. She had just come from her Special Star room having teleported there right after talking with Persona. She had found it to actually BE a Special Star room, instead of the No Star place she had requested earlier. Surely her father would be quicker than that to secure her room. Being a Special Star like this for two seconds created tons of suspicion, like the assumptions in Natsume's mind right now.

She had also decided to slip on the little piece of "jewelry" her father had given her, which was a ring that fit perfectly on her right index finger. She was well aware of what kind of alice it held in it. It was actually a piece of technology created by Hotaru Imai that transformed a persons appearance into one that they programmed in. Her chosen appearance was black hair and green eyes. Her body type remained the same. She looked a lot more appalling as a raven-head. She much preferred her auburn locks than this dark mess. It fit the boy in front of her though. His crimson eyes trying to read her movements, Mikan almost laughed. He was rude wasn't he? He wasn't going to politely shake her hand and introduce himself, even though she knew who he was already. "You don't talk much, do you?" she said cheerfully, dropping her hand and putting both of hers behind her back. She almost laughed again when she read his furious mind, minding that his crimson eyes narrowed angrily at her. "Aaaand you have a temper," she continued, giggling. She skipped past him, grinning. It took a few seconds later to A) remember that she had to play it cool and stupid and B) let out a scream when her skirt caught on fire. Mikan had sensed it coming, but the thought had forced her to wait two seconds before peering down at her aflame skirt and let out an ear piercing scream.

Natsume wasn't sure whether to get the girl to shut up or just walk into his room and slam the door. Her scream was loud enough to deafen him. He could feel his ears ringing just from it. If all Alice Academy didn't hear the loud chick, he would be impressed. Being the only Special Star on this level, Natsume was grateful no one would see him wincing in pain from the loudness. "Shut UP!" he shouted over her scream, extinguishing the fire he set to her skirt. She had pissed him off with the temper comment, and now she was annoying the hell out of him with her scream. The girl, whatever her name was, closed her lips and stared at him with huge eyes the size of saucers. Great. She was new, and of course she didn't know who he was. "Stay. Away. From. Me," he pronunciated loud and clear, glaring at her before glancing down at her burned skirt. "What are you, five? That print is so old, Polka Dots." Natsume smirked. By the time the girl had gotten it, and screamed "PERVERT!" at him, he had already walked into his room and shut the door. What a stupid girl.

Mikan screamed obscenities at Natsume's door until she was sure he was gone. Straightening, Mikan smirked and waved a hand over the burnt skirt. It repaired itself through her alice, becoming a bit longer and more concealing her polka-dot print underwear. She was impressed he had such nerve to be so perverted. Even if he took hardcore missions for the Academy, was constantly worried about endangering his friends, Mikan was somewhat impressed with this guy. Rolling her neck, Mikan placed her hands behind her back and sauntered down the rest of the hallway. It was too bad Natsume didn't impress Mikan enough. Peeking at a girl's underwear? Come on, that was so immature. Mikan had to go through so much worse when under missions. Humming, Mikan exited the building and went off in search of new adventures. Perhaps a bit too knowing, a bit too powerful, a bit too strange, Mikan was surely a difference from the boring life in Alice Academy. Especially since the pendant she wore signified her higher stature in Alice Academy International. But that was to be explained in another chapter.

**After a REALLY long time, I finally write another chapter! I told you I was very on and off with my fanfics. Thankfully I love you all terribly much and wanted to keep writing for it. It's just suspense after suspense with this, honestly. Tell me what you think of the chapter! Please review. Seeing as my school is starting in two weeks, I'll see if I can get another chapter up before then. If not, I apologize for any delay.**


	4. Chapter Four: The Night Before

**I AM SO SORRY ABOUT THIS. I can't believe I spaced out almost a year! Wow! That was intense. Thank you soooo much for your reviews, it really means a lot to me to know that people are reading. It is now the summer time [YEAH. TAKE THAT SCHOOL!] and I hope I'll be able to write some more.**

**Bringing to you another chapter of Without a Title, it is I, Miki231! I've been really into school and I haven't done much fanfiction reading lately, but I will try, I promise, to get into this. About my writing style, I apologize after reading a review, because I'm a roleplayer, not a writer, so I tend to write obscene amounts without thinking. I will try to space it out 3**

**Disclaimer: Yeah, none of it's mine. Wish it was, but it isn't.**

Brief Recap: Mikan Sakura has returned to school, and has returned to her job, though that is unknown. Natsume Hyuuga is tormented by a dream of a girl with brown eyes, crying. He had a mission the night before with an idiot. In The Day Before, he and Mikan meet, but Mikan is under the disguise provided by a ring given to her by her father. She heads off to a mission. Natsume and Ruka make their way to class. The end of chapter two is a question about what someone is doing there, but who?

In this chapter, you will find out what happened the Night Before the event in the classroom.

Chapter Four: The Night Before

Persona was going to die.

It wasn't a joke. He was going to fucking die if this little girl in front of him would stop for a moment and realize that she was about to kill her 'Aniki'. No. Choosing to spar against his little sister who was a _monster_ when she wanted to be, and could take out armies without even using her alice seemed like a GOOD IDEA. Yeah. For a suicidal guy like Persona.

The DA teacher flinched under his mask as a branch flew mere centimeters from his ear and sank itself into the core of the tree trunk. In front of him, Mikan was grinning like the angel of death she personified, her form already shifted back into a standing position, like she hadn't just thrown the massive branch at him. "Alright, I yield," Persona forced out with as little emotion as possible.

Mikan raised an eyebrow. "What, already? It's only been a few minutes, _Aniki_."

"I value my life, even if I don't look it, Brat."

"Careful who you're calling Brat."

Persona pushed off the tree and pressed his wait against the branch. It snapped away from the tree and dropped to the ground. He stared at it for a moment before looking back at Mikan. She was now settled on a tree branch, sitting indian-style, blowing a leaf in he hand. He hadn't noticed her movement at all.

"You've really improved since you left to America," he commented, turning his body towards her. "Well, they train you like a dog," she said in a nonchalant manner. "I think I still have a few whip marks."

Despite his treatment of his subordinates, he hadn't ever subjected them to _whippings._ That was more of the Middle School Principal's thing. "So who is this partner I'm going to be working with, Aniki?" Persona stiffened for a second. He hadn't told her about her partnersihp with Kuro Neko tonight. He had actually wanted to surprise her, but of course, there was the Mind Reading Gift she had copied from a student at the school.

"Kuro Neko," he responded. His senses were suddenly alert to his kitten's presence making its way towards them from the dormitories. "He's on of our top agents. He hasn't had a partner since he joined and I thought you could get a crack at him before your class tomorrow."

Mikan made an 'o' shape with her mouth. Natsume, the guy she had run into earlier when she was under her disguise. Polka Dots, huh..? She clicked her tongue at the bounding mass of energy making its way towards them. Clumsy. He could run like a cat, but he didn't maintain his energy correctly. He was probably just coming here in fear that he would get the Death Alice put upon him or something.

"If you don't mind, Aniki," Of course he wouldn't. "I'll be acting a little differently tonight." Persona couldn't say anything because as he would begin to, he would notice Mikan standing up and placing a foot into air.

At the same moment Natsume reached the edge of their little circle of trees.

"AHHH!" GOD. Natsume's ear seared with the sudden high pitched noise from HELL. He lit a fire in his palm and glared heavily at the offending pile of _whatever_ lying at the trunk of a tree. He had just arrived for his mission and he already summed up that, since Persona was staring blankly at the form, this was going to be his partner.

He hoped he was wrong.

Discipline and fear made him clamp down his mouth and extinguish the flame. If anything, his flame would be the becone that showed someone was in the forest, not the high scream just now. "That," he said stoically, kicking a stick at the pile, "better not be my partner for tonight. I only work alone."

"So you have said, Kuro Neko," Persona said, amused, while he watched Mikan slowly get up. The girl had purposely taken a fall from her seat on the tree branch to end up in a pile on the ground. He also saw her take precautionary measures by landing on the balls of her feet and then tumbling forward on her face to make things seem more realistic. Why? He had no idea.

"Shiro Neko, get up," he continued in a harsh tone, striding forward to stand in front of Natsume and Mikan. Mikan was a fabulous actress. She wobbled up and clutched the tree for support while she maintained a shakey disposition when viewing Persona. Like an absolute Newbie who was terrified of the oh-so-dangerous DA advisor. Like she was weak. And powerless.

"Kuro Neko, this is your partner Shiro Neko," Persona glared from Natsume to the dark-haired girl in the white mask. "Your mission tonight is to retrieve a file from AAO headquarters regarding new Alice Academy students for next year. You are to work together. If one of you dies, the other will not be returning. I expect you to return before sunrise. That is all." Natsume wasn't sure if his 'partner' listened to the whereabouts of the file, or if she was too busy peeing herself in fright in front of Persona.

He nodded in confirmation and tugged at his mask. "Let's go," he murmured to the nervous wreck beside him. Together, albeit a little delay on her half, they leapt into the trees and away.

Persona snorted while he turned away. This'll be fun. Not only was Mikan acting powerless, she would probably try to get Hyuuga killed in the mission.

He made his way back to his office, chuckling.

"You're new, right?" Natsume's voice broke the tense silence while they jumped from tree to tree towards the AAO headquarters.

"... Y-yeah." Came a nervous, small voice.

"What is your Alice?"

"Nullification."

Nullification was.. a pretty useless Alice, Natsume thought to himself, annoyed. She probably didn't even know how to use it, and if she did, if she nullified his Fire, he'd be killed.

Natsume glanced over at the girl. She looked to be his age. He couldn't see any muscle under the dark clothes she wore. She moved light on her feet despite being rather new. Dark hair, from what he could see, was tied up in a ponytail and her face was covered with a white cat mask opposite his own.

He half wondered what she looked like under that mask.

... She was probably ugly.

"Look, if you want to stay alive, don't hesitate, just do. I'll handle the guards, you just need to get the file. Do you remember where it is?"

"... I think so, yeah."

And that ended the brief conversation between the two 'partners'.

Four hours later, Natsume seriously wished he could burn the girl up right then and there. "RUN!" she screamed, tripping while running past the many guards attacking him. He was exhausted from having to _protect_ her when she decided to fall in random places, and from the ambush of guards, and the many, _many_ odd traps the AAO had laid out for them. His bleary eyes took in the file she had in a death grip in her hand, and without a second thought, he surrounded the guards in a raging flame, taking the chance to run out with the girl.

She was so fucking useless. The only thing she had done was create a nuisance for him and almost get them both killed. He was pretty sure he had a few bullet wounds in his shoulder and abdomen, but blocking out the pain had become a spectacular skill for him when he was on a mission.

"If you ever trip into a guard again, I'll burn you myself," he growled violently at her as they fled their way back to the Academy.

"I-I'm sorry, Kuro Ne-"

"Shut UP."

In this world, no one apologized because mistakes cost lives and cost valuable information. Natsume knew she couldn't get out of it, but if she was so stupid as to do the things she did this night, she'd be killed before her second mission. He concentrated on moving forward, receiving a healing stone from Persona, and then going to class in the morning.

Mikan was enjoying herself on an insane level. She followed behind Natsume, silently laughing at his bloodied clothing and his pained face which was hidden by the black cat mask. The mission had been a success four hours ago-before they had even _gotten _there.

Playing an idiot-which Mikan would kill if she was ever paired up with-was quite enjoyable. For Natsume to be constantly thinking she was imbecile, it made Mikan even more encouraged to get him to fail in his mission. The file she had in her hands was a copy of the one remaining in AAO. She had left a little love note for her mother with it as well. Just a reminder, and a note to keep Thursday free for dinner. That such thing.

Mikan was hardly worried for their lives. The guards were weak, the system weak, her partner _weak_. If she was to return to her "job" she'd need to strengthen them all up.

It was nice of Persona to pair her up. Now she knew what things were like. Now she knew what she had to fix.

They reached the circle of trees in silence. Natsume collapsed against the trees, finally, when Persona appeared. Mikan flashed him a quick smile before resuming her nervouse act.

"H-here's the file." She handed it to him obediently and bowed away like a little puppy.

"Good work, Shiro Neko, Kuro Neko," he said gruffly, internally chuckling at the smile. "Kuro Neko, get yourself cleaned up. Wouldn't want anyone _knowing_ about what you do." Mikan shot him a raised eyebrow when he tossed a Healing Alice stone at the injured boy. "Dismissed." Shaa~ The disappearing act again.

"I really am sorry, Kuro!" Mikan forced the highest, most annoying pitch she could get out of her voice. She smirked behind her mask, gave him one last look, before teleporting out of there.

Natsume groaned, and reached for the Healing Alice stone. One more mission, one more step closer to Aoi. He had to keep going. As long as he wasn't partnered with the idiotic girl again, he would be fine. Ability classes were that day. He'd burn her alive in DA.

The sting of the Healing Alice made him grit his teeth. It was slowly healing his wounds, but it wouldn't cure them. He'd bleed for another hour. Damn Persona for his tricks, and damn the girl.. Shiro Neko.

He gripped the tree for leverage, standing up carefully. He groaned with every step he took and made his way back towards the dormitory. Hopefully Ruka wasn't waiting up for him. It was almost four am.

"Thank you for not having our top agent killed," Persona said in a sarcastic tone. He was sitting at his desk in the dimlit office. Mikan lay, bored, ontop of the wooden desk.

"It's not like he couldn't save himself."

"It's not like he was partnered with the strongest Alice user with Nullification and S.E.C."

"... Well, if he's smart, he'll link my name with Nullification. It'll only take them a few days anyway, if Hotaru is with them."

"So you're acting as other people just for fun?" Persona raised his eyebrow and leaned forward on his chair, putting his elbows on the desk and looking at her.

"Yeah, pretty much!" she beamed up at him.

She had nothing to gain from playing different identities. It was a waste of energy, a useless mystery. It enertained her, though. It would be nice to see who people were before they realized who she was. It wasn't like she had never seen them all before anyway.

"Tomorrow will be your first class. Are you looking forward to it?" The dark man placed his hand on his mask and shifted it off his face. Dark eyes opened on a pale face, taking in Mikan's gaze.

"... What is there to look forward to? It'll be your class. Obviously not something to look forward to. I don't know what you've been teaching them.."

Persona chuckled. His ringed hand found Mikan's. "But tomorrow I'll be free. Isn't that something good?"

"Maybe." She turned on her side to look down at Persona. Her now unraveled hair fell over her shoulders and onto the desk in light curls. He trailed his free hand from her cheek to the curve of her shoulder, and the indent of her waist, to her hips and her legs..

He looked up at her rich brown eyes again and found a familiar feeling in them. "I have three hours," she murmured, smirking and leaning forward. Her expression enticed him.

"That's not enough," he breathed, moving closer as well.

**THE END**

**... I mean. Not really. The end of the chapter. +coughs+ ; NO. This is not a Persona/Mikan fic. It is a Natsume/Mikan fic. Things will be explained~ I hoped you liked this chapter! I will try to get more up soon. Things will be explained, they will be.**

Next chapter will be entertaining.

**I apologize for the vagueness of the mission. I just didn't feel like writing it. ; **

**To be continued in Chapter Five: The Class..**


	5. Chapter Five: The Class

**Well, HI THERE. Another chapter for you, and thank you for all the reviews so far made. I really appreciate knowing people are reading my story, no matter how horrible I think it is. It's currently summertime for me, and I spent the last week (well, last week, 'cause I finished) rereading the entire Gakuen Alice manga series (translated into English) on Onemanga. **

**I can't believe how uncanon the characters are in my fanfiction, but eh, it's fanfiction. This chapter is dedicated to who served as a bridge between worlds in translated manga. I'm so sad they're closing down! D:**

**You're all probably wondering why I changed the rating to 'M' instead of, well, anything else. After I wrote the last chapter, I realized there are probably going to be very suggestive scenes and even worse language and the like, both action and sensual, so on the safe side I wanted only those capable of reading the mature content to be able to.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything! **

_Recap:_

_So we've gone through what happened the morning before the event in the schoolroom, what happened the night before (Wasn't that fun? Mikan is such a sadist.) We are now returning to the end of Chapter Two._

Chapter Five: The Class

"Oi. What do you think you're doing here?" Natsume Hyuuga, the boy of few words that weren't perverted, stoic, sarcastic, or some other form of negative annotation, glared down at the familiar, annoying face of Mikan Sakura, the girl he met yesterday. She was sitting in his seat in the back corner of the room, smiling up at him with those big, innocent green eyes that looked so wrong for her face.

"What are you talking about? I sit here, you..." It took only a few seconds for recognition to hit HER. Mikan's eyes widened and her mouth slowly formed into an 'O' shape. "... You... YOUUUU! YOU PERVERT!" she screeched. Her voice raked over him and his bad mood like sand paper over wood, slowly scratching it down until he wanted to physically hurt her.

"PERVERT! MOLESTER! PANTY-PEEKER, RAPIST, **HENTAIIIII**!" By now, Natsume had several veins threatening to pop as he glared ice at her. The classroom had silenced when her chair had fallen back, her hand slammed on the desk, and another pointing at him. Their classmates stared up at them. "How could I be a rapist? Who would want to have sex with an ugly girl who wears polka-dot print panties?"

'_Atleast I even get sex, unlike a virgin like you,_' Mikan thought to herself, feeling more and more idiotic by the minute. The more she played her part as a stupid idiot, the more she felt like one. It was all fun and games, to be under a disguise for the first few days as a student. "You PERVERT! Who told you you could peek at my underwear? If you hadn't burned it! I was being nice to you and all you do is-" It was even better that she was partnered with and seated next to such a fool.

_Flashback..._

"Wait here, Mikan-chan," beamed the gay, sorry that's an offensive word, _crossdressing_ homeroom teacher to the smiling girl. "I'll announce you and then you can meet your clasmates." Narumi waved to the girl before sauntering into the classroom and shutting the door behind him. From outside, Mikan could hear him quieting down the class in preparation from her entrance. She was decently refreshed from the three hours spent with dear old Aniki, and his wonderful hands and his even more wonderful Alice of Corrosion to even care about classes.

But being the obedient student she was, she showed up anyway to make her entrance. She knew for one thing that the cute Black Kitten was in this homeroom class, and that his very scent wasn't even present which meant he was late. Overslept, she concluded, from his failure of a completion of a mission last night. Dressed in the blue plaid uniform, with black jacket atop and a ribbon lazily hanging around her neck instead of tied, she waited outside the classroom and kept an acute ear on the door.

Mikan wasn't pleased to be returning to school. She had a decent week off of it, and even more with the times she played hooky in America, and she could easily play hooky now except her reasons for a double identity would go down the drain if there was no fun.

"... and you have a new student! Mikan-chan, come in!" Narumi called towards the door. She slung her bookbag over her shoulder and practiced a pathetic giant smile, and then waltzed in-or not. Her face collided with the closed door, and she moaned something fierce. Her nose hurt! The door slid open cautiously and Narumi, as well as the entire class, peeked out to see the dark-haired, green-eyed girl rubbing her face.

"Oh no~! Mikan-chan, are you alri-?" Of course she wasn't alright, stupid teacher, Mikan thought to herself while she forced herself up straighter, puffed out her cheeks, and 'teared up' a little. Mikan Sakura, ditz ahoy, couldn't take a hit if it was from a door. The real Mikan brushed it aside, but fakeso had to be in pain. "Nn, I'm fine, Narumi-sensei," she cut out in a complicated moan. The whole classroom burst out laughing except for the famous blackmailer, Imai Hotaru. She barely glanced up from her experiment.

Mikan smirked internally. Of course she wouldn't, she knew everything already.

Once everything settled down, Mikan stood in front of the black board smiling at the class with Narumi at her side. "Hello! I'm Mikan Sakura, I'll be in your care, thank you very much." She bowed with her hands placed on her thighs. Her pigtails slid past her shoulders while her head was bent down. "Does anyone have any questions?" Narumi asked.

Hands shot up, mostly from eager male classmates, while Mikan smiled obliviously. "Yes-" she didn't care for the name. "-kun?" "What alice do you have?" "Well I have-" From elsewhere, someone interrupted.. "What star rank are you?" Closer. "How old are you, why did you transfer at such a late time?" From a familiar alice that Mikan had felt poking at her mind. "Why is it that I can't read your mind?"

Everyone turned to Yome Kokoro, a blonde boy who had a giant, somewhat creepy smile stuck on his face with the Mind Reading Alice. Mikan regarded him with a polite tilt of her head. "Well, I couldn't answer any questions before, but my alice is a secret, that's why." Her response had everyone drop their jaws in surprise. "I'm not allowed to talk about it," she hurried out afterwards, apologizing and already bowing profusely.

"But apparently it blocks out my Alice," Koko started, suspicion lacing his cheerful tone.

"Yes, something like that," Narumi interceded and sent a warning look at Koko. The boy read the teacher's thoughts and sat down in understanding. The rest of the class hummed with suspcious feelings. "Mikan-chan's Alice is very complicated, and the staff is still trying to figure it out, therefore everyone please be nice to her and not ask her too many questions. As for her star rank, it is still being decided. Her reasons and age are her choice to answer. Free period! Make friends!"

_End flashback..._

And that's how they got to where they were now. After finding out her age and her being transferred in because apparently they 'just found' her Alice, they had gone through a half-hour of peace until the Famous Duo slammed in with Natsume Hyuuga in a foul mood and Ruka Nogi ready to love all over and under his girlfriend.

Oh, and Mikan Sakura yelling at Natsume.

Sumire Shouda, self-proclaimed President of the Natsume-Ruka fanclub, had a vein ticking on her forehead when she smacked her palms on her desk, making everyone look at her. She already had her cat ears poking out when she came upon the unsuspecting Mikan.

"Hey, you, new girl," she seethed. She materialized beside Mikan, making the other girl bump into the desk in surprise. Hyuuga spared no look at either.

"What makes you think you can talk that way to MY Natsume-kun?" Sumire screeched. 'Cat-dog Alice,' Mikan evaluated in her mind, using her eyes to glance up and down the angry figure. Because of the Alice from her father's brother, she was able to tell which people had what Alices. Extremely useful for stealing, that. 'Now if only the user wasn't so irritating..' "EH?" came out the higher-pitched voice, startled. "His name is Natsume?" she pointed at the boy.

Sumire wanted to slap her! "YES, his name is Natsume! Natsume Hyuuga, best friends with Ruka Nogi over there," she gestured the blonde who was trying to be inconspicuous. "Didn't you hear Narumi-sensei say it? You're PARTNERS with him! I, Sumire Shoda, president of the Natsume-Ruka fan club, do NOT approve of this! What makes you think you're worthy of Natsume-kun? And this can't-tell-your-alice crap, it's obvious you don't have one, you-"

She had the satisfaction of watching Mikan Sakura's face drop bit by bit with each word, but she wasn't expecting... "You make it sound like you own him," Mikan stated bluntly, tilting her head at the oblivious insult she had just made. Sumire narrowed her eyes. The wench had ignored everything she had just said! Mikan examined the permed dark hair-was it green or was that just her eyes?-and giggled. "Is he really that easy to own, _Permy_? Aww! Like a cute, adorable little puppy or maybe an obedient kitten.."

Everyone in the class winced at her shriek, and most everyone felt incredible pity for the dense girl who chose the wrong words to make with the biggest imagination ever.

Natsume glared at the girl while she tried to pat out her skirt, one of her pigtails already singed to hell and back while the other girl-Natsume had the amusement of calling her 'Permy' courtesy of the new girl-yowled and screamed for water. Her disgusting permed hair was aflame for being so annoying and embarrassing him. She brought it on herself, he thought. "Hags," he snapped at both of them, glanced at Ruka in hopes of making him understand his silent message, and strode out of the classoom.

Walking down the corridor, he checked for any people watching, and sagged against a wall. His breath came out harsh and uneven. "Damnit," he cursed under his breath. HIs Alice had decided to act up again. The girl he met yesterday and the girl in the classroom today were one and the same. Something told him his partner last night was probably the same girl, since they were the same age and the meetings were way too coincidental to not be supicious about, but he had to get out of there.

What was the point of waking up if he was just going to leave five minutes after arriving?

'Mikan' had tears streaming down her eyes and sat depressed in her corner, while other classmates crowded around her in pity. Sumire had yet to forgive her, but she was being comforted by her friends and was fixing her hair.

"It's okay, it's okay," cooed a pretty, comforting voice. "Mikan-chan, right? I'm Anna Umenomiya. Are you alright?" Mikan peered up into the eyes of her pink-haired classmate and smiled weakly to her. She murmured an answer and sunk deeper into her crouch. The surrounding classmates took that as encouragement to step forward themselves. A girl who looked like Anna only with dark-blue hair and dark eyes, smiled brightly at Mikan too. "I'm Nonoko Ogasawara, Alice of Chemistry!"

A calmer voice, male, came closer to Mikan's side and offered a light jacket. This surprised Mikan, since it wasn't like her skirt was totally gone (she had fixed that herself already). Mikan looked up into the worried eyes of a feminine boy with glasses, and blinked. Alice of Illusion, and a strong one at that. "Sakura-san, y-you can use my jacket if you want." Mikan could hear the shy embarrassment coloring his voice.

"My name is Yuu Watase, but everyone calls me 'Iinchou.' If you ever need anything, you can come to me. Please don't mind Natsume-kun and Sumire-chan," Yuu helped her stand with the Geeky Sisters at her sides, already tying the jacket at her waist to cover the 'damage.' Mikan thought wryly to herself, 'If I wasn't so oblivious, I would take that as a hint that they all have looked at my panties already since they're hiding me.'

"I'm the Class Representative, but Imai-san over there," he gestured towards the girl tinkering away at her invention, "-is Vice-President so you can also go to her for help." Yuu glanced at the girl who was staring at him with wondrous, adoring eyes, and his cheeks colored. He quickly looked away.

Nonoko was too busy having a mind-facial expressions-conversation with Anna to notice.

"... Thank you, you all," Mikan stated quietly, tugging at the end of her blouse. She sniffed quietly, mentally taking note of all their alices and which would be useful to her, and gave them all a small smile. The gesture to Hotaru didn't even turn her head a bit.

It all seemed so stupid to her. If they weren't nice classmates, Mikan would have just dismissed it and not cared. Good thing they were, since they were going to have to deal with the _real_ her after a few days of this stupid disguise. She'd have something to complain about if they were obnoxious, spoiled brats who rebelled against the Academy.

"I.. think I'll go to the washroom to clean up," she offered lamely as an excuse to get out of the classroom. Already, the two girls had sprung up the question to go with her, but she carefully interceded. "I know the way," she reassured them. "I'll only be a couple of minutes!"

She bowed to them carefully, then fled the room.

"I wonder if Natsume went too far on our new student... Should we go after her?" Anna asked the other two, worried. "I'm worried too.. She cried a lot!" Nonoko responded.

"Leave her be! She's obviously too weak to be in this class if she can't handle our Natsume," snapped Sumire from afar.

"Sumire-chan!" gasped Yuu. "You shouldn't speak that way about our new friend!"

"Who's a 'new friend'? That's just crap Narumi said. I don't like her. We don't even know what her Alice is! She could be controlling you like that bitch Koizumi was."

Several of the classmates started murmuring. Years ago, in their elementary days, there was a transfer student named Luna Koizumi who, at first, appeared nice and innocent, but was soon found out to be the Soul Sucking Alice and a complete bitch. She manipulated them all into a war with eachother, and was a secret Dangerous Abilities agent who sided with the Elementary Principal.

Thank god the stupid bitch had decided to disappear after they entered Middle School.

"Something tells me she isn't like that." Koko's voice could be heard over the tense silence, and his eyes searched out Sumire's. He smiled at her carefully, making sure to avoid the jealous possessive gaze of Mochu, and sent her a telepathic message to calm down. "Narumi said something in his head that.. makes it out that way."

The others studied eachother and slowly settled back down. None of them paid much heed to an amethyst-eyed girl slipping out of the classroom, except, maybe her boyfriend after she bonked him on the head with her hoof weapon.

Meanwhile... Mikan was waiting impatiently in the empty girl's bathroom. She examined herself in the large mirror, tugging annoyed at her dark locks and longing to rip out the very green eyes that shimmered back at her in blank expression. No matter what she thought inside, her superb acting skills showed nothing on the inside. That was probably why she wasn't concerned about other people seeing her in the hallways while she recalled malicious murder and the history of the Academy.

They were all so, so pathetic. Being it was Saturday and a day for Ability classes, Mikan reassured herself with thoughts that she could retrain the Academy dogs and make them all not think "Well, eff my life." all the time. She tapped her fingers on the marble countertops and leaned forward to pucker her lips at the mirror. They looked a little puffy. She examined her neck, and made sure the makeup was still covering it. If anything, she could hide them with the Illusion alice, but that would ruin the fun.

"I don't want to watch you make out with the mirror, idiot, but feel free to do so. I'll make a great profit from it."

Mikan turned to smirk at the amused eyes of Hotaru Imai, wielder of the Invention Alice, leaning curiously against the entrance to the bathroom. In her hands was a personal camera she made herself. "Imai." "Sakura." "Hotaru." "Mikan." "Hotaru-chan."

BAKABAKABAKA! Idiot bullets found their mark and sent the newcomer slamming into the nearest stall, landing on her butt on the toilet seat. Mikan grinned at the smoking gun. "Miss me that much, genius?" "Where the hell have you been, stupid thief?"

"America, duh. Haven't you been keeping good tabs on me?" she raised and eyebrow while she raised herself out of the stall. She patted off her skirt and Hotaru noted the fixed length. Hotaru glanced to the side and saw the male uniform jacket carelessly thrown onto the counter. Overhead, they both heard the dull ringing signalling it was time to switch periods.

She narrowed her eyes at the girl with green eyes and strolled forward to prop her hip on the counter. She raked her gaze over the slim legs, the plain uniform, the ribbon, and couldn't seem to find what she was looking for. She didn't dare ask where 'it' was though. She did take notice of the ring on her finger though.

"So you didn't rip your eyes out of your skull and trade them for those grotesque green ones. Don't care about the hair though. Makes you look ugly either way."

Mikan's smirk deepened. She reached for the ring on her finger, and tugged it off with exaggerated slowness. From the roots of her head, her hair started lightening until it reached the color of dark auburn. Her eyes shifted, cat-like, removing all traces of green until innocent chocolate-colored eyes gazed back. With the change of appearance, her outfit shifted into her mission clothes: all black, weapons concealed in all the right places. Her hair tied itself up into a high ponytail and a white mask materialized on her face.

"... Is this better, then?" Mikan asked, playfully tossing the ring up and down while she arched a perfect eyebrow at Hotaru. "... Much."

They both senses bodies flowing out of classrooms and a few voices coming closer to the girl's bathroom. Judging from the giggling and the gossip, the voices fully intended to enter the restroom. Hotaru turned towards the mirror and began reapplying invisible makeup while she watched Mikan from the side of her vision. She came closer behind the girl and smiled coldly, with empty eyes, straight into the other girl's eyes from the mirror.

"Don't think I've forgiven you, Hotaru _Imai_," she whispered into the girl's ear. "You are still a _traitor_ to me, no matter what my brother says." She turned a little so her back was against the counter and she had to turn her head to speak to the frozen girl. "If you decide to step out of line even _once_ to attempt to save _your_ brother, I won't hesitate to kill you."

Hotaru's eyes widened. Fear began to seep through her like she was being slowly dragged into an ice bath. She never took her eyes off the other girl in the reflection, aware that while no killing intent was being shown, no aura being let out, the air around her alone changed with every word.

Mikan smiled brightly. "Oh, he's having a wonderful time where he is. That is, if they haven't killed him already. _I_ don't know since I _just_ got back yesterday, but from what I _hear_ he's wishing he was dead. He's wishing he never had a sister like you that chains him down to the Academy, even though he should be _long_ gone now." She touched the chain necklace hanging around her neck, with the special symbol dangling from it. "The higherups didn't send me in, if you're wondering. I came back on my own free will."

"So don't think you're free." She breathed the last statement at Hotaru, just as a group of Class A girls walked in. They were laughing at eachother and didn't have enough time to see the dark figure. To them, they just saw Hotaru Imai, the famed Ice Queen, fixing her makeup, and a strange girl with black hair and green eyes just coming out of the stall with a burned skirt.

They didn't have time to notice the dark-figure block the entrance for anyone else to get through. They were too busy laughing at the recent classroom drama, where they were discovering their love for boys and their gossiping habits. Even when invisible whips wrapped around each of their limbs and squeezed, hard, large invisible sharp objects sinking deeper and deeper into their skin, too quick and too sharp to let them scream.

Even when they all collapsed on their knees, fighting the pain, necks becoming out of place and heads being thrown by some unnatural power into the sink before the Blackmailer. Even when blood splattered across Hotaru Imai and the newcomer Sakura Mikan who just wanted to fix her skirt.

The original Mikan smirked at the scene in front of her. She sent a warning, chilling smile at Hotaru. Her pathetic clone stood, petrified, at the scene. The bodies had collapsed ontop of eachother and were already creating a pool of blood about to leak out into the hallway. Mikan slid her tongue to the side of her mouth and tasted the metallic taste from the foreign source. It was delicious.

Her dear Aniki was likely to yell at her. Hell, even the stupid Elementary Principal would go out for her head. As if. Her smirk deepened and she teleported herself out of there with a smug scoff. Pathetic lives needed to be destroyed as quickly as possible.

Hotaru hadn't found her voice before the fake Mikan Sakura screamed. Hotaru's eyes just kept riveting on the blood, the bodies, and she slowly reached up to touch her face and feel the liquid dripping down her forehead.

People were already running towards them.

**END OF CHAPTER~!**

**... This was why I put it at M. because. It's going to get worse guys.**


	6. Chapter Six: Innocence

**Miki231 here! It's amazing how fast time flies. I started this story a year ago in February, and now it's already October of 2010. I apologize for the updates that take so much time. What is is this insanity over the recent Gakuen Alice chapter? I'm done, like, I'm so.. upset.**

**But here it is! Another chapter update!**

**I don't own anything, as usual.**

_Recap: So we've witnessed the usual classroom setting with Mikan under her disguise being treated as she is in class, with her skirt burned and her becomming acquaintances with those in her class. We've also witnessed her and Hotaru have a nice meeting in the girl's loo. That ends with the brutal murders of several Class A's females. Traumatic._

Chapter Six: Innocence

What was it like to see several people murdered before you eyes? Mikan was surely used to it. Hotaru wondered what her sanity was like after she had to leave the scene and be taken in by the teachers. The dark-haired Ice Queen had witnessed the first brutal murder of a few students in almost a decade, if not more. And there were witnesses. The staff had no chance of covering this up, not with the bodies, the blood, and several other students coming to see what had happened. There was no Alice of Memory there to wipe it out.

She wondered how she wasn't screaming. Her eyes were dull, she kept coming in and out of focus. Even when Ruka had taken residence by her side at the table in the teacher's lounge, she still couldn't see him. She felt his presence like a magnet, and his touch on her hand and his own shaky feelings, but she didn't know how she was feeling. She couldn't see anything but blood and Mikan, god, _Mikan_.

Her best friend.

Mikan Sakura had been best friends back in their elementary division days, back when no one but Hotaru knew her. They were quick friends and Hotaru came to visit Mikan at her residency in the High School Division's dorms almost every day. Her brother was Subaru Imai, a Healing and Pain alice, strong and exceptionally developed. Mikan Sakura was back then a silly girl, with powers that Hotaru hadn't even realized were present. They had gone through everything, communicated every secret, no matter how abusive Hotaru was of Mikan.

Watching her best friend.. kill.. people with her Alice like that.. What kind of Alice was that? The same Alice that Mikan had used before.. her mind whispered to her.

Hotaru stared, fixated, on the mug placed in front of her without registering what it was. "Hotaru," Ruka's voice interrupting her thoughts. "There is some coffee for you, please." Dull eyes turned towards him for a moment before turning back to the mug. She reached forward to grab the mug with her hands, missing the handle, and sending the cup toppling over the side. Ruka yelped when it dripped hot liquid onto his lap, and he stood up quickly, brushing it away. The liquid seeping onto her lap and she didn't flinch, looking down at the warmth, and made her dull eyes flicker momentarily in pain.

"Hotaru! It's hot!" Ruka rushed to her side and was brushing it away, onto the floor, without hesitation. The silly boy, he was so close to her and did so much.. He was burning his own hands that way too.. She tipped towards him and laid her forehead on his shoulder, in one of her rare shows of affection. Ruka stopped. He looked over at the form of his girlfriend. She.. After having heard of the event and of Hotaru's involvement, he had rushed down to offer comfort. Natsume had been summoned for an emergency abilities class meeting, despite this being the day for them anyway, just earlier. The blonde reached out and arm and wrapped them around Hotaru's. In return, she grew limp and returned his hug.

"Hotaru Imai," Jinno's voice rang clear and crisp. "We need to question you about a few things."

Ruka glared full on at the teacher. Jinno stared back. "This is no time for recovering from trauma. We need to know what you saw and what happened, Miss Imai. If you wish for a mind reading Alice to come instead, your request will be granted."

"No." Her soft voice came out, surprising Ruka. He looked down at her head as the girl spoke from his chest. "I do not require Kokoroyomi. Those girls entered, a dark figure blocked the door, and they were suddenly dead. I have no recollection of anything otherwise."

"Is that really all you-" "Yes, that is all. I request that you leave _now_. This matter concerns _him_ and not _you_. Tell the high school principal."

Surprise filled Jinno's eyes as confusion filled Ruka's, and the former quickly turned on his heel and out of the room, the click of the door showing his action. Ruka tightened his hold on his girlfriend. "Hotaru.." he questioned quietly. "What did you mean..?"

Hotaru closed her eyes and inhaled. "Please.. don't ask.. Ruka."

This matter didn't need to concern him. It couldn't. She couldn't tell anyone or she would come after her, just like she had come after her brother so long ago. Trapped her brother. The words earlier in the day repeated over and over in her mind. He would be dead if she tried to rescue him. Didn't Mikan have enough sense to know that? Hotaru wanted to scream. Mikan was just pulling her rope tighter and tighter against Hotaru's neck. She planned to suffocate her. Her brother was going to die no matter what she did. He could be tortured right now and Hotaru was just sitting her, being as useless as ever. She never had any power at the Academy, not when she was younger, not now when she was as smart as ever.

No matter what the Elementary Principal had influence over, there were always higher officials waiting for them. Who do you think owned the Academy overall? Not the principals. This school system didn't work that way.

Hotaru gulped. Mikan belonged to that group. The Elites. Her necklace showed that to Hotaru. She had changed that much in this amount of time-no. She had _been_ who she was back when Hotaru had first met her. Her best friend. Her brother was dying. Her friends were dying. Her best friend was killing.

This best friend was currently a two levels and three buildings away fom where Hotaru was, waiting in the Dangerous Abilities classroom for the rest of the students to show up in the class. Mikan wore her mission gear, cleaned from blood, while she lingered in the shadows. She watched as no one noticed her presence, lingering, examining her nails and licking away any blood that stayed. Persona stood in the middle of the classroom with the same stoic look in his face, recently infuriated at the news that Mikan had slaughtered yet again.

_Flashback.._

"You did what?" He said in an eerily calm voice. "I killed a few students today. You didn't hear about it?" She shrugged back at him when she had entered the classroom. Her gear was free from the blood save her face and hands. "Oh, I heard about it alright. You went against orders and _killed_ students? Don't you think this will have some repercussions?" Mikan gave him a dry stare and made her way towards the wall. Persona glared at her, unable to believe his ears but somehow no longer caring what happened in the school since Mikan was involved. "Do you think I care?"

The simple answer was 'no.' No one had any say in what she did in the school. She hadn't staged an all out massacre, and someone was bound to just spread a rumor that it was one of the girls' Alices that killed them. After all, the girls she chose to kill coincidentally had useful alices, one of them being an Alice of Wind. The girl could have gone beserk and killed them all. Of course, she wouldn't have had the skills that Mikan had at killing quietly, but she had the Alice.

The Academy was supposed to control someone as power crazy as Mikan. Persona was one of the few people who had that bond with her and could somewhat get close. The government could not detain a girl of Mikan's power and the Academy was the only place where Mikan actually cared to stay. The second place would be the AAO with her mother, but that as off limits since she currently picked a side.

"Brat, don't kill any more students," Persona quietly ordered. "I'll owe you one." As part of their deal, Mikan shrugged at him and licked her cheek.

"Yeah, yeah, I'll try not to. I was just around someone who particularly pissed me off."

"Watch the temper too." "What are you going to do about it, Aniki? Punish me? As if."

_End flashback.._

She licked the crimson liquid from her fingers and relished the particularly metallic taste to it. Some blood in there belonged to a girl who had the Alice of Literature, and in her blood were remnants of her inspiration and spirit and words. Mikan could taste it, and it tasted glorious. The others, like the Wind and useless Alice of Camoflauge, didn't have such a unique taste.

Her brown eyes flicked up under her mask as she felt familiar presences enter the room. There were others with them, the other strange Dangerous Ability students who hated their lives. Her clone, Mikan Sakura Two, the stupid girl with black hair and green eyes, bounced along calling Natsume Hyuuga hateful names. Mikan smirked under her mask. It was easy to control her clones and see how stupid they acted from another point of view. She definitely looked stupid. She was bouncing around like that and flashing her panties to anyone who stood behind her.

"Shut up, stupid polkadotted panties girl! You make my ears bleed!" "WHAT? I make your ears bleed? I'm sorry that you have so many voices in your head you can't have a sane person talk to you."

"Hyuuga, new girl, shut it." Mikan rolled her eyes as a high schooler with blue hair and cat-like eyes shot orders at the two. He barely looked old enough, or mature enough, to be giving orders. No doubt, 'Cool Blue Sky' would like to know that her creepy stalker was in this class. A curious eye turned to the side and recognized a dark-haired boy with a cap and a star on his cheek. Mikan smirked at his casual posture and easy smirk on his face, and she made a mental note of his attitude.

Natsume schooled his expression into a cold one after setting fire to Mikan's skirt again and the front of Hayate's pants. 'Mikan' yelped and attempted to pat it out with her hands off to the side, while Hayate stifled it with his wind. "You..!" he growled, grabbing the younger boy's shirt. Natsume glared up at him. "Let go." "What'd you burn me for, Kuro Neko?" "Why are you holding me like you know me, Kaze?" The former released the latter and turned away from eachother. The boy with the star on his cheek snorted and crossed his arms.

"Enough."

No matter what was going on, Mikan thought, Persona still had everyone responding to him with respect, fear, silence, and submission. Everything at stilled and they all turned towards him in obedience, like good little dogs. Persona was expressionless behind his mask as he opened stare blankly ahead at them all. Mikan licked her lips, eyeing his form. She knew he could be as cold as ice when he wanted to be, but she could have him warm under her fingers in seconds.

But that was just the feelings from this morning resurfacing. Stupid hormones, they were good for nothing and only came on at the wrong moments.

"This emergency meeting is no longer necessary. The murders of three Class-A middle schoolers has been resolved." Her eyes shot back at Persona in surprise just as many of the other students had done so. A few murmurs of 'what? someone was killed?' floated about, which made her want to kill them for not knowing already, but it was just like Persona to resolve it on his own business. He'd contact the principals soon enough and explain, if they hadn't already pinpointed Mikan as the culprit.

"Wait, who was it?" "Does that mean we can leave?" Came their voices.

"No. You can't because I'm obviously not done yet, so _shut up_." He shot them all a glare, his words crisp. Silence followed.

Mikan studied her fingers to make sure they were all clean. Her nails were clean, no blood crusted underneath-she hated that!-and nothing on her clothing. Her face was already finished. While Persona continued talking about the missions and everything, she figured her time was coming close. By the time she had pushed off the wall and emerged from the shadows, everyone had finally realized her presence was there. Well, who couldn't? She was obviously standing in the light now. Except one, the star-cheek boy, eyed her without surprise.

Mikan studied his Alice quickly. Alice of Shadows, huh. Good reaction, he knew she was there, but didn't try to control her. Must have realized her immunity and strength.

"I am stepping down and taking the position of Assistant DA class Teacher. More like, I'm never going to show up because I don't want to see your faces. This is your new teacher." Smart of Persona to leave out her name. She was still mentally flipping that coin to determine if she'd reveal herself or not. It was fun and all, but she really wanted to see the look on Natsume's face when he realized who she was. Or that she'd still be leading a double life with him knowing. She emerged and stepped forth to take the spot the Persona moved out of.

All eyes fell on her suddenly, suspcious and wary. The tension had increased a tenfold at the new addition to the team, not Mikan Sakura, but the new teacher who was _replacing_ Persona. Who was this woman who would be more powerful than the Death Alice, who was so secretly hiding there? "Hey there."

Natsume examined with fiery eyes the brunette that stood before them all. Something about her silouette reminded her of the partner from last night, but that was impossible, because the girl was right next to him. In his dream however, he remembered the color of her hair. Her mask hid her eyes however. She stood before them in all black, similar to that of Persona's save the lipstick. Her excess bracelets on her arms and the charm dangling freely-that charm!

Natsume's eyes flew to the necklace that he remembered Mikan wore. There it was! The same silver necklace with the same insignia. The green eyed girl turned to him and peered suspiciously. 'What are you looking at?' she mouthed to him. He narrowed his eyes at her and moved back to the woman. But stood, stunned, when the woman was looking straight at him smiling brightly. That smile.. The rest of the members were staring at him and moving back and forth between him and the woman. They had yet to know her name. Tsubasa chuckled under his breath and Persona glanced over at him, annoyed.

"My name is Mikan Sakura. I will be your new Dangerous Abilities teacher. That is my clone over there." She nodded at the green eyed girl and willed the girl to move towards her. 'Mikan's' eyes dulled significantly. She moved almost robotically towards the new woman. Mikan beckoned towards her clone and smiled as she saw her face and body come closer, but not the eyes or the hair. The time to rip out something had come. She moved quickly, shoving a hand through the clone's abdomen, and twisting. The form exploded dramatically into a fissure of sparks, signifying the dispursement of the clone.

It wasn't as great a feeling if it was an actual person, but, holding the ring against in her hand, she smirked at the rest of the class. "That is not how I actually look, but good thing for you, you'll never really see me with my clothes or my mask off."

"You lot are lazy and arrogant, troublesome to the Academy and obviously not schooled in obedience or loyalty. A useless pack of dogs, I have no need for you. This Class is placed under the watch of the Elites and will be trained and evaluated on your skills. If you are not found useful once more to the Academy, I will take you and kill you." Within ten seconds of her speech, she had released bits of aura and allowed them to feel exactly how strong she was. Somewhere far off, students were getting chills from what they were feeling. Danger, it said, people will die, danger!

"I do not allow traitors to survive. Under me, you will learn how to properly defend yourself, use your Alice, and kill. That is all you need to learn. You have no feelings, you are worthless agents of the Academy until you graduate. The end."

For a speech so dramatic, it definitely had an impression on the class. Mikan peered around at them all before resting her eyes on Persona. He gave a brief arch of his eyebrow, signalling his exasperation at her longwinded speech. She smirked at him and moved away. Towards the Shadow User and his expressionless face. "You, Alice of Shadow Manipulation. I like you. You'll be first to fight me."

**END OF CHAPTER**

**Mikan is getting more and more badass by the chapter!**


	7. Chapter Seven: Simpler Beginning

**I ADORE YOU ALL. No, srsly, getting a little notification in my email that I have a new review makes me SO happy. I don't even know where to begin. Thank you so much reviewers and readers and everybody in the world for supporting this fanfiction despite how long it is taking for it to just FINALLY update. Like the Gakuen Alice manga. TOO LONG. ;~;**

**Ahem. Another chapter! Thank you faithful little followers!**

**Nothing is owned by me. I wish. You know how rich I'd be?**

_Recap: Peeps died. Hotaru was going to interrogated but due to certain circumstances, she has been exempt from questioning. Mikan is a sadist, Persona is not as hard as you'd think, and guess what? Tsubasa gets to get his arse whooped!_

Chapter Seven: Simpler Beginning

"Well, hurry up, I haven't got all day." Mikan tapped her foot impatiently and propped her hand on her hip, examining her free hand and blowing on her nails lightly. The DA classroom quickly cleared to the edges of the class, desks being shoved aside and lights being flicked on. They all flinched when glaring white light came on, illuminating the floor.

Tsubasa pushed off of the furnace and headed towards the middle of the classroom, shoving down his nerves and focusing as best he could. For such a funloving guy, he was easy to focus and quite smart in the head. But, as he peered around, he saw the lights glaring in every direction which might prove problematic to him.

"Hey, somebody hit the lights." Mikan called out, eyes on Tsubasa, as if she sensed his thoughts. He raised his blue eyes up to hers and paused at the.. almost human look in her eyes. Was it just him or was she actually looking like a pleasant girl younger than him.. heck, he could imagine himself picking her up on his shoulders if she'd allow it.

The corner of Mikan's lips twitched. The light clicked off, and they were submerged in darkness. She sighed. "Idiots. Not _all_ of them. Obviously there needs to be some shadow here. Don't you know anything about Alice?"

"No, it's fine like this." Came Tsubasa's call from the side across from her. Mikan twtiched, and peered across towards his aura.

It was different from what she'd encountered with Shadow Manipulation. Normally she was used to younger children who only distributed their shadow to control people. After taking a closer look at his manipulation, it seemed like Mikan was wrong. Not like he could beat her, but definitely it was something new. Mikan smirked.

Somewhere else in the room, Natsume was stunned, beside him was Youichi, and all he could hear in his head was 'Who is this woman?' Clearly Mikan Sakura was not the person he'd thought she was. Especially if she was the teacher for the Dangerous Ability class. If only it wasn't so dark in the room, then they could actually see what was about to go down! Natsume growled a curse to himself and sparked a flame on his fingertip to the light something.

The others in the room breathed a little seeing the small flame so they could adjust to the darkness. Persona's attention flicked there for a moment and then back to Mikan. Her form looked so relaxed that Persona wasn't even sure if she would be fighting this round, only doing self defense, or heck, not doing anything at all.

Mikan's eyes adjusted quickly and she absorbed the boy's aura and his overall appearance. Messy black hair, dark blue eyes that almost looked black, with a star on his cheek.. the Curse Alice? A familiar one at that. He wore a beanie and a messy uniform.. eh. She didn't care about that.

The few moments before the practice would begin, Tsubasa was doing the same to Mikan as she was to him. He hadn't expected someone of her stature and physique to be so strong and capable. He couldn't feel the aura he had felt earlier, and yet it was just rumbling below the surface. Not rumbling, humming. The shadows encasing her shrank back as if she was her own pillar of light in the darkness. Tsubasa stuffed his hands in his pockets and almost laughed. No way was he winning this, no way was he even going to try unless she killed him.

"Here I go." He mouthed, sending out his personal shadow meshed in the darkness towards the younger girl. Mikan closed her eyes and felt. The shadow stretched and bent in a curve, not directly towards her. It came to her left. She stepped backwards three inches and it passed her feet by mere inches. Two seconds later, it would come round behind her, she predicted. Mikan lifted a foot and placed it a foot to the right and two feet forward. She skipped past the shadow and continued similar dancing movements around the shadow manipulation.

Tsubasa grit his teeth. At least show him a little pity and get caught! It wasn't like he'd do anything to her. He wondered how she was so narrowly avoiding his shadow without using any alice whatsoever. The thought passed as quickly as it came however as he concentrated on fixing his shadow to outline.

The rest of the class could barely see what was going on in the dark. Natsume held the flame as low as possible so he'd be able to see, and it cast his shadow. Youichi swung his legs on the box behind them, bored out of his mind. He understood that the old lady was important and all, but he was better off doing schoolwork or ditching classes.

"Don't just use one shadow. Try to surround me from all sides." Her voice came as a whisper against his ear, and Tsubasa's eyes widened at the noise. No one else seemed to have picked up on it.

When going on in missions, it was important to stick to the plan until all hell broke loose. On missions, you were trained to go wth the second option, and improvise with whatever you were given. In the time that Tsubasa had been transferred to the Dangerous Ability class from the Special Ability, he'd become adept at maintaining that mentality. So. Continue with the failing plan, or give in to the advise that he was handed by his enemy?

Yeah, you chose right, smart guy.

He took a hand out of one of his pockets and fisted it by his side. All goes for nothing. Mikan stopped her movement and smiled a small smile, unseen by everyone. Shadow was forming around her like a bubble, not allowing even a pocket of light to get out from top or bottom. "Don't forget to seal it." She whispered, eyeing the visible line of where the sheet of shadow connected to its end.

She had powerful eyes. An Alice she picked up, similar to that of her Uncles where she could detect Alice, but instead see the shapes it formed. It was quite interesting how it worked. So the game was already over, since she had lost with her using her Alice. No doubt Aniki was probably cheering that she'd used her Alice when she normally wouldn't. But what normal person could see perfectly in the dark? Psh, not her. She preferred light and firelight over anything else.

Tsubasa opened, flexed, and then closed his fist. The shadows surrounded her figure and he could feel the power, superiority in having control of anothers body..

... except then the lights flipped on.

"I SWEAR TO GOD." They both yelled in exasperation. The class jolted in energy and all turned towards the light switches.

Mikan held her hand extending in a threatening close prod to severe pressure points at the persons neck, barely touching them. Tsubasa held a knife, probably the one he'd hidden in sleeve, against the person's personal area. ... Low blow on that one.

Persona growled low in his stomach and moved ever so slightly so he wouldn't be in as much danger with Mikan's strike while Tsubasa was present. His hand arrested in the air above the light switch next the door. "Aniki.." Mikan began in a sickly sweet voice. "You know I don't like it when you interrupt my practices."

Tsbuasa was surprised at his own movements, and he pulled out before Mikan did, pocketing the knife. "Yes, I do, Squirt. But we're running out of time. There are other students, you know." Persona replied as monotonously as he could, blinking away the shining dots of light against his eyes as they adjusted to the change in light.

Surprised, Mikan looked towards the clock. It already passed twenty minutes, and she had less than that to practice with the other students. "... Oh." She grinned. Letting go of Persona, she pushed him aside and turned towards the rest of the class. Her big grin sent a chill down certain peoples spines.

"You heard the man, people! I gotta practice with _all_ of you before the day is up. How about you all form a circle and attack at once? I love me a good gang up." She smirked deeply, a wicked gleam in her eye. "I'll tell you what you do wrong and fix you up with a decent training schedule. I expect you lot to abide by it, or else you'll face my wrath." Her smile deepend in exaggeration.

She let them prepare themselves and heard the distinct crash of someone who wasn't paying attention. Turning to Tsubasa, she leveled him with a brown eyed stare, and a light smile. Tsubasa startled, almost stepped back, but regained his cool and shot a grin back. He kept thinking positive thoughts that she wouldn't harm him if he didn't piss her off.

"You're good with your Alice, but you need to let loose more instead of restricting it." She began. "Shadow Manipulation starts with shadows but can consume a room in darkness. Try practicing in a fully light room and work with the shadows of other things, not just yours." He nodded, mouth open. With a wink and final smile, she turned away and waltzed back to the center of the forming circle.

On the edge of the room now, Tsubasa stared at her figure. Suddenly, the class didn't seem that bad, not nearly as dangerous as it was made out to be. He still had yet to encounter the girls true potential, but surely she wouldn't.. kill them all.. unless.

No. She was still dangerous. She'd killed those girls earlier today.

Natsume had been thinking the same thing, glaring ferociously at the girl who attacked the other classmates with such easy, defeating their Alices in one move, or even none. Her movements told him that she knew all that was happening and was so at ease with fighting that he stood no chance. He considered stepping forward but a cold hand on his shoulder stopped him.

"She has banned you from practice, Hyuuga." Persona mumured down to him, watching with intrigues eyes at Mikan's every movement. Youichi snapped back and almost fell off the box, looking at Persona.

"What do you mean?" the red eyed boy growled. "How can I do missions if I'm not properly trained" He fisted his hands to his sides, temper ignited. First, she betray him with her weird disguise, second she kill people, and third she bars him from practice and expects him to go on suicide missions..!

"You're not doing missions unless specifically told to. You're off, Kuro Neko, of the official lineup."

Mikan smirked inside her circle and, with a quick whirl of her body, sent all the students flying into the walls, _hard_. She clapped her hands together to clean them off and brought her head up to stare directly into the red eyed gaze of the Flamecaster. He glared back at her. "Got a problem with my orders, Kitten?" She teased. Her eyes narrowed in case he had.

Natsume scowled and turned to exit. He beckoned Youichi to him, and they took off.

"He doesn't know?" She murmured to Persona. "No, I didn't get a chance to tell him since he got all annoyed." Persona replied, rolling his eyes. Mikan linked her arm in his and turned back into the room where the students were mumbling in pain, trying to get up. Tsubasa was still by the edge, cracking up at the spectacle. The students were growling about how she'd taken advantage of them.

Mikan said nothing more and went to dismiss the class as the bell soon rang. What Natsume didn't know wouldn't harm him. He'd probably be happy to be released from his missions. She could still remember years ago what it was like for Natsume to be at the school, undergoing what he had to..

Memories were useless. She didn't even know why she started remembering. She no longer had any need to cry tears for Natsume Hyuuga.

**END CHAPTER.**

**A little more tame than the last couple of chapters but I guess you guys deserved a break from the sadism. I'm actually running low on muse too, I've basically hit the point of the story where I can make up whatever I want. What do you guys think I should do with the story?**

**Review please~!**


	8. Chapter Eight: Reintroduce Yourself

**There really is a six month gap whenever I update.. It's kinda of sad! But anyways. Thank you very much, reviewers, for your comments and pleading for updates. I really appreciate getting a kick in the rear every once in awhile, because I'm so flaky with my stories. xD Please, whenever you think I'm taking too long, feel free to post up as much as you want to kick my arse. +giggles+**

**Nothing is owned by me, of course! I'm not capable of figuring out all the details of the school like Higuchi Tachibana has! Psh.**

**Here's another chapter for you lovelies. I'm on summer break before senior year, so I should hopefully kick out all plot I can before I get swallowed by classes.**

_Recap: Mikan and Tsubasa start of training with a duel. Mikan is impressed by Tsubasa's control of his alice, and in turn Tsubasa is impressed by Mikan's ability to teach and advise them well. She delivers more ass kicking for the rest of the class. Natsume discovers he's being kept from doing missions. Why?_

Chapter Eight: Reintroduce Yourself

For many nights now since that first meeting with the DA class with the new advisor, Natsume found he couldn't sleep well. He wasn't complaining anymore about the lack of missions. The healing his body went through on its own in those few days seemed to be more relaxation than he'd had in years. His aches and pains loosened up, and he could cough without feeling like his head would explode from extra pressure building up.

But what reasin had he to be tossing and turning in his special star bed? It was as comfortable as ever. A king-sized bed, with beautiful red upholstery, and sheets of fine silk. Only the best for Alice Academy students. It wasn't anything in his room, no lights or electronics on or loud that kept him awake.

His mind was tormented by the dreams of that girl, that girl with chocolate colored eyes, whose frozen look seemed to be incapable of melting even though tears streamed from it whenever he saw her. She was always crying, always burning in an endless inferno. No matter how many times he forced himself awake, he could always hear her voice screaming for him, felt the fear creep in in the early hours of the day.

Along with this dream came the daily stresses of having _that girl_ as his partner. Not the crying one, but another demon with brown eyes rather similar to the girl in his dreams. More often than not he found himself comparing the eyes, and shaking away any suspicion that he might be dreaming about _her_. The girl in his dreams seemed much younger, much _prettier_ than the ugly, obnoxious, dangerous, suspicious fool he'd been trapped with for a partner.

Mikan Sakura was her name.

He remembered the day after the DA class, she came into the class with her disguise still in place. Despite her being outed in the DA class, she still wanted to come into class with that stupid hair and the even stupider naive, innocent look on her face.

She sat next to him in class, humming little tunes under her breath when she was bored and they had free time, staring outside of the window, the perfect picture of schoolgirl innocence. It grated on his nerves. He found himself paying more attention to her during class than his manga. And he had just gotten the latest Naruto book too! She was just a magnet for his eyes.

With her flat chest and her silly panties which still managed to get shown under her skirt at all times. Natsume was getting driven up a wall wanting to just rip her skirt off her and get it over with. He guessed she did it all on purpose to keep up her disguise, _always_. The image of her, a ruthless killer, and being able to take down the entire ability class lingered in his mind and made sure he kept up his guard around her. Just because she was some silly, screaming, irritating idiot during the day didn't mean he could assume she was weak.

"What is the point of looking so ugly in that disguise?" He asked her one day, growled more like from under hiis manga. He shifted his eyes in her direction. It was the middle of Jinno's class and everyone was bored to death. Being in the back row, he highly doubted he cared any longer for the frog loving man.

"What? Are you saying I look attractive as myself? Kitten, I didn't know you cared!" Mikan had a genuine look of surprise on her face which she turned towards Natsume. He had to stifle the thought that she looked cute, leaning on her desk with her elbow and her chin propped in her hand. She was a Mind Reader, he needed to keep his mind clear.

"No, I'm saying you look ugly at all times. The disguise is just meaningless since we know what you look like." He glared.

"We? I'm pretty sure it's just _you_ who is stupid enough to say anything." She remarked absently, waving a hand and turning her head back to the board. He almost missed her eye contact.

"You still didn't answer the question, _Polka Dots_. You look ridiculous in that getup."

"And your eyebrows are really small and ridiculous looking, but you don't see me pointing it out. I don't answer to you, Kitten, you answer to me."

A said small eyebrow twitched in irritation. Natsume glared at her from the slit in the manga he could see from, and then pointed a finger up at the ends of her pigtails. It was a childish response, he knew this, but his eyebrows always were a sore subject since Koko and the other grinning idiots in the class seemed to enjoy making fun of him for them. Not to mention he wanted to just set fire to her all day, every day.

As expected, Mikan's fake persona came out, and Natsume clutched his ears in pain as the rest of the class did.

"EEEEEEEK! **NA**-**TSU**-**ME**!" Mikan screeched, abrubtly standing up and knocking over her chair to gather the attention of everyone in the class, including Jinno-sensei. She grabbed at her pigtails and tried to pat out the simmering embers of the fire. "YOU BIG JERK!"

"MISS. Sakura! Is there a PROBLEM?" Jinno's own brow twitched dangerously as he patted his wand against his hand, glaring in the direction of the interruption.

"N-No, sir!" Mikan's eyes had widened considerably in fear, Natsume was amused to notice. "Nothing, I mean-just this jer-Natsume has a question to ask you, sir!" A vein had already showed at Jinno's temple as small spurts of lightning began to emerge from his wand. The class began to cringe back in preparation. "Oh? And _what is it exactly_ that Mr. Hyuuga wishes to ask me?" His glare fell on Natsume as the boy fought a vicious snarl and shiver back.

Curse her and her passing the focus onto Natsume.

"Pol-_Sakura_ just asked me to ask _you_ if you were ever married. I told her it was none of her business, sir. She wondered who would ever marry you, said maybe your frog might. She was quite rude about it." Natsume said slowly for the entire class to lean in and listen clearly. A bolt of lightning shot towards the door and zapped a huge, black hole through it as Jinno dangerously glared back to Mikan. Mikan's wrong colored eyes widened even further and she nearly tripped over her chair backing up.

"NO, sir, he's LYING, that's not what happened, JinJin, I wouldn't-" Her voice caught in her throat as Jinno stalked further up the aisle with a dark cloud looming over him. The students in the aisle seats nearly shrunk back against the wall with the rest of the class. "_Sakura_..," Her name came out as a dark hiss from his mouth. The lightning sparked again. "I _will not_ have your _ridiculous_ questions interrupting my _class_." Pure poison spewed from his mouth.

Mikan had half a mind to bolt out of the room, but the more insane, real Mikan lingering within the fake persona, amusedly watching the situation, thought it was hilarious for Jinno to get so angry. Nevertheless, Mikan threw up her hands in caution and fear.

The bolt of lightning Jinno sent from his wand jumped back practically the second it was released with a loud CRACK. To others standing off, it looked like Jinno had to have been pointing the wand wrong and forced it to hit himself. Natsume was close enough to see the perfect bubble of Nullification alice pop up around Mikan and the lightning to rebound off it quick enough. It was clear, but there seemed to be a tinge of orange in it.. A familiar color. His brain tinged for a moment, familiarizing the color with a vague, smiling face, and then Jinno's cry of pain brought his attention back to the moment.

Mikan stood, shocked-a fake expression, Natsume was sure-at the fallen Jinno. His eyes had opened in surprise and his hair stuck up as electricity sparked around it. It would seem that the lightning had rebounded onto him. His frog even had a bit of roasting twitchiness to him.

"I swear, I didn't-I don't know what happened! JinJin, are you alright?" Her voice screeched loud enough to break everyone from their surprise.

A BAKA! bullet blew through the room straight into Mikan's gut as she bent down to check the man and instead found herself slammed into the back wall. Everyone turned, shocked, to find Hotaru Imai at the door with Ruka Nogi looking in behind her. Whispers broke out suddenly, shushing everyone.

Hotaru had finally returned to class after _that_ incident. No one had seen the perfect attendee for that entire time. Some said she had been interviewed, or she was hiding from the authorities that wanted to arrest her. One steady, ice-like glare to her classmate as she strode up the aisle, Ruka loyally behind her, silenced them.

"You idiot, you almost killed _our teacher_." She hissed monotonously, stepping over the sparking body of their teacher and aiming her gun at Mikan's form. Natsume half-turned, curiousity making him eye Imai's expression. It was dark, almost furious, even though her usual stoic face was on. Since when had Natsume gotten so good at reading the Ice Queen?

Not to mention Mikan. Her smiling face had wiped clear and was replaced by that all too familiar Dangerous Ability class advisor expression.

"Excuse me? I just said I didn't." She replied, slowly getting up and brushing off the bits of plaster from her skirt.

Hotaru cocked her gun. "_Liar_." She hissed, glare darkening. "If you can't control your Alice, you shouldn't be in this class." Memories of the teen girl's bodies being sliced by invisible thread were still prominent in her mind, enough so that she missed the quiet smirk flit across Mikan's face as she read her mind.

"Hotaru, JinJin is fine!" Ruka called, retracting his fingers from the man's neck and shaking out the numb sparkly feeling it gave him. "We need to take him to the Infirmary, and besides Mikan-chan's Alice isn't that strong. It was probably just an accident!" The other students' gazes flew from the dangerous duo to the blonde boy by JinJin's side.

"Yeah, as if Sakura's Alice could be that useful. JinJin probably just struck himself," called Sumire, haughtily, but as Koko quickly looked at her, her mouth closed. Too bad Mochu didn't see this signal because he continued where his girlfriend left off. "Yeah! No one could be stronger than JinJin, he's a _monster_ but he must have been stupid enough to point his wand towards himself." He laughed and others joined in with him, but Hotaru's eyes were firmly on the baka in front of her instead of the idiots that were her classmates.

"If you kill another person," she hissed quietly, "I will kill you, no matter how many lives it takes me." Mikan had come to stand in front of Hotaru, her wrong-green eyes glittering dangerously

"You're too _weak_ to kill me. What makes you think you could ever, in any life, _traitor_?" Her eyes glanced at the gun, to the face of the owner, to the boy who stood off to the side, watching cautiously.

"I didn't betray you, you betrayed _us_ by siding with _them_, for what, _him_? He's not worth anyone's time." Hotaru hissed back, coming closer as her finger pressed dangerously close to the trigger. A close shot with the Baka Gun that had been upgraded with real life bullets to kill what Hotaru most wanted to kill.

Mikan stiffended, and her lips came up to reveal sparkling white teeth that shimmered in the light. "Don't go there, Hotaru-chan. You know I don't like it when you play dirty." Her sweet voice spilled through, practically covering any trace of hostility she felt towards the other girl. "Oh, I _know_."

Hotaru wasn't to be fooled, and nor was Natsume as he took a step forward to put a hand on the gun and place himself between them. "Oi, polka-"

He soon found a gun and a fingers flaming with familiar looking fire practically up against his each of his eyes.

Ruka gasped as did the rest of the glass and the mumbling, sparking Jinno was forgotten. Because Mikan Sakura, the new girl, and Hotaru Imai, the Ice Queen and blackmailer, were both looking ready to spill his blood across the classroom floor. "**Don't get in the way**_**,**_"__They both snarled in the same voice, same dark tone. Natsume barely swalloed to keep the surprise and fear out of his eyes. The situation was sizzling with so much tension that he couldn't help but freeze.

"Hey! Since when do you have the Fire Alice? Only Natsume-sama has that!" Sumire exclaimed all of the sudden, half screeching in that girlish high voice of hers. Yuu, Anna and Nonoko stared as well. "Mikan-chan.. What are you doing to Natsume? Hotaru-chan too." Anna whispered, face visibly paled as she tried to get closer to stop them. Nonoko followed, protective instincts kicking in for their friends.

"Oh? You didn't know, I forgot." A sneer broke Mikan's face as she peered at the two friendly girls who had helped her on her first day. Kind girls, good Alices, not enemies but at this moment they were bothering her and Hotaru's lovely meeting.

She turned slightly, dragging her fingers away from Natsume's face and came to face them, light smile in place, a familiar expression for the Mikan Sakura they knew. Hotaru tensed at this and drew her gun back to Mikan's face. Green eyes flicked emotionlessly to her for a moment before back at the girls.

"You see, Hotaru and I have an understanding. No one ever comes between us. And Natsume and you two are interrupting us. That's quite rude, you know." She played with the fire on her fingers, and Hotaru pressed her gun up against Mikan's temple. With her fingers, she swirled a small circle in which the fire grew to surround Natsume, Hotaru, and Mikan herself.

Nonoko and Anna shrunk back, wary of the heat and sparks similar to Natsume's fire Alice. "Mikan-chan!" "Hotaru!"

"You see, Natsume, Hotaru and I have a past.. one that doesn't concern you. So I'd appreciate it if you'd stay out of it." Mikan smiled cheerfully at Natsume, who had regained his wits to open his mouth. "Ah! Shut up before you start, mmkay? I'm so sick of hearing your annoying voice." She giggled a little, playing with the fire even more as it seemed to shrink, coming even closer to singing off his shoes.

"You _bitch_.." Hotaru hissed, pressing the trigger on her gun at last. Her movement was too slow, as Mikan tipped her head forward a millimeter and the bullet didn't even graze her hair. Hotaru hastily jumped back from the girl, edging closer to the fire surrounding Natsume despite feeling its heat against the back of her legs.

"She's lying, Hyuuga, you _are_ involved, you just don't know." She hissed, eyes continuously on the girl she vowed to kill. "Your memory was wi-" Hotaru blinked her amethyst eyes and suddenly Mikan's snarling face was in front of her face.

The front of her shirt was fisted and she had little time but to close her eyes and hold onto her gun as a fist slammed into her face, throwing her across the room through the fire, the desks and past the stunned classmates.

"You will not _talk_, Imai Hotaru, or so help me, I will end your life with or without my alices."

Everyone shivered but could not turn to look at the girl who had spoke them. Hotaru's bloody mouth spit out a tooth as she winced and tried to sit up. "You promised to never use your Alices on me, and you _never_ break your promises."

"So you know," Mikan spat. "So I do," Hotaru responded strong despite her quivering limbs as she tried to stand with a few very obviously broken ribs and a bruised face. "You've been reading my mind since I came in, you _liar_. Didn't you know what I came in here to do in the first place?" Her hand dragged across to her gun as she tried to cock it. Ruka's eyes widened in alarm and he flew down to help her.

Like Natsume, he found the gun pointing at him as well. "Don't interfere, Ruka," she warned. She pushed past him to start making her way awkardly up the aisle as Mikan slowly came down her own, slow, pantherlike way.

Natsume's eyes watered as he tried to see past the fire and the smoke, and rubbed his eyes quickly, coughing. God, he couldn't breath. He'd learned much by having his own fire, but never had he felt so suffocated by one stronger than his.

Mikan's lips firmed into a straight line as she drew herself up and coldly studied Hotaru.

Hotaru licked the blood past her lips and pulled her gun up again. "Everyone, this person in front of us isn't a new transfer student. She has been in Alice Academy, been even in _our class_ since before she was ten. She is a _liar_, a _monster_. And guess what? She killed you all before, and wiped your memories so you'd never guess you've ever died."

Mikan's eyes seemed to darken in each shade, but the smile she gave was as cold as ice. Her lack of movements assured Hotaru that she could have her say before she met her end. Atleast her best friend respected her that much still.

Hotaru coughed, aware that Hyuuga sounded bad in his circle of fire. "Her alias is Shiro Neko, the famous assassin for the elite who kill at the Academy's command. Years ago, you all were targeted by her because you helped us-" She coughed again and spit. "-Helped me rebel against the Academy. You all died."

Her gaze flew across the astonished, disbelieving faces of all the people who have stuck by her side since she entered the Academy. Hotaru wasn't a sentimental person or close to any of them as she had been close to Mikan, but they were still the people whom she had grown to care for and even, in Ruka's case, love.

It'd be sad that she'd end her life for them, but of course, Mikan wouldn't let her live after she let the truth be known. There had been rumors after it had happened, but Mikan had perfected her Memory Alice by then and made everyone unimportant to the story never remember a thing about it. Hotaru knew, knew their dead bodies and their cries for help and the smell of burning flesh because she was forced to remember. It was her mark of obedience so she'd never run to save her captured brother again.

"And Hyuuga, Mikan, she.. You knew her too, when we were ten. You lo-" Mikan's gaze had sharpened once again, and Hotaru cocked her gun up against Mikan's forehead as quickly as the girl had stepped forward to put her fingers against Hotaru's throat.

"That's quite enough, Hotaru-chan." She smiled. Hotaru frowned despite her dangerous situation. "You're not over it yet, are you, Mikan? You still.." She fell silent as her eyes widened in realization.

"That's quite enough, _Hotaru-chan_." Mikan repeated, smothering to death any sadness she suddenly felt, birth from that always second of vulnerability before she killed someone. She remembered all of their deaths, knew all of them. Even Natsume.. No. Mikan wasn't weak enough to take her fingers away from Hotaru's throat.

It was a fool's trick, Hotaru forcing that memory back to Mikan when she knew full well how it effected Mikan. And Mikan was no weak fool, she succumbed to nothing, not pain, not sadness, not grief. She felt nothing because emotions were nothing but lies. Everyone in the world lied, even Mikan. Lies were not meant to believed.

Hotaru gave a small smile and chuckled breathlessly. "You still love him, Mikan. Hyuuga, did you hear that? The Mikan you knew still lov-"

Mikan's eyes widened a fraction just as she pressed her fingers into Hotaru's throat. The fire.. the fire! It had, his condition, Natsume! She willed the fire away with a quick thought, glancing back slightly to see the collapsed form of the boy, before she shoved aside panic to press her fingers deeper up against Hotaru's throat. "Stay _down_, Hotaru." She hissed.

Hotaru smiled and the resounding click of the trigger being pulled followed by the firing noise of the gun made everyone flinch and close their eyes.

Ruka gasped first and rushed to the form of his paralyzed girlfriend. Her eyes were wide open, and her smile still lingered, but her body was limb. Her gun had fallen from her hands when she collapsed. "What did you do, Mika-?" Ruka's angry, practically infuriated with grief and panic voice died at the sight of the girl in front of his girlfriend's body.

The bullet had penetrated deep, Ruka could almost see a perfect cylindrical form of one in the flesh that it penetrated. It was between her eyes, the soft flesh where her eyebrows would meet if she had a unibrow. Ruka thought irily for a moment: Hotaru had perfect aim.

"She'll be dead in time." Mikan's voice dropped any hint of emotion. Blood was seeping from the bullet wound, bullet still fully embedded. It dripped down her eyes in a steady stream, to fill her eyes and make it seem as if she had bloody red eyes, blinding her.

"How are you still-" Ruka gaped, fear slicing through his body like an icicle drove itself straight through his heart. This girl was dangerous, she had to be a monster with what Hotaru had said if she was still able to talk, let alone stand with a.. a _bullet_ in her skull! He clutched Hotaru's body closer to him protectively. No way was Hotaru going to die.

Mikan gave him no response as she turned, stunning everyone else in the room to have a good look at her wound. Her fingers glowed a light green as she first reached to her face and then penetrated the hole with them, stretching the skin even forcing more blood to pour and drip through her eyes.

Her mouth opened to cry out one solid, loud, painful cry, bloody eyes closing momentarily in pain before her fingers yanked out a familiar cylindrical shape. In the path her fingers had taken a light green light had emerged, slowly healing the skin and returning it back to place. She stepped over Jinno's body mutely, dropping the bloody bullet on hers and Natsume's desk before she approached the collapsed body of the Fire user.

"D-Don't go near him, you _monster_!" Sumire's voice suddenly screeched. The cat-dog girl vaulted herself over the desks to come to a snarling halt in front of Natsume's body protectively. "Y-Y-You stay away from him and us! Leave!" Her fear had started radiating off her as well as her anger and wariness of the dangerous stranger who took shape of the girl they knew and Sumire _hated_. She didn't want what happened to Hotaru to happen to Natsume, at all costs, even at her own life, she would not let anything happen to her precious Natsume. He meant way too much to her, to them, to the school..!

She had a fraction of a second to jolt in surprise before the side of Mikan's hand crashed against the back of her neck and she collapsed. Once the contact was made, a small glow formed in Mikan's hand and Mikan quickly stuffed her hand into her pocket, scowling, before stepping over Sumire's body.

Everyone was riled now, and soon even they would jolt up and try to defend one another. It'd be a massacre in Mikan's opinion, and her classmates had already died once. She, and the Academy, wouldn't allow her to kill them again, especially if they wanted her dead. So Mikan decided to move quickly, and leaned down to press her lips against the unconscious Natsume's.

Unconscious until that moment, when energy began flowing from him and into her, and that uncomfortable, painful, draining feeling was what had his crimson eyes shooting open to struggle to pull away. Mikan had a firm grasp on the nape of his neck, however, and her contact with his lips kept him glued to her. "What are you.." He thought furiously, so incredibly hesitant in striking her despite knowing how capable and willing she was to kill. He struggled harder. "Keep still, Natsume, it'll only hurt for a bit and then you won't ever know who I was ever again." Her voice sounded in his head again and his gaze flew to her semi-closed lids.

No, wait. Her eyes were open. And.. her disguise was gone. His eyes.. they were shifting how she looked to a familiar scene, one four or five years ago, in a very similar setting.. Escept he had been injured, burning, so hot.. and she had been smiling at him in that sad way of hers..

Her brown eyes. Chocolate brown, in pain, crying, yet so unfeeling. Those where the eyes that were gazing at him now. Despite the lack of tears, he _knew_ who she was.

She smiled against his lips and pulled back quietly. "I'm sorry, Natsume Hyuuga, but orders are orders." Mikan bent down again to press her soft lifts against his again, and Natsume wished furiously he could move his lame, weakened body to move so he could move his lips against hers again. Just like the last time, she was doing the same thing.. and he'd forget all over again. The _stupid girl_! Her orders.. what orders?

But his energy had finally been stolen from him and he lost himself to the deep darkness that would surround him for days.

He'd never know what happened with Mikan afterwards, how she calmly left the classroom and the students came charging after her, hurling insults and their Alices. Mochu had levitated a desk and threw it at her, and she had disintegrated it.

He'd never though that she'd use her Alice against them all, once again, wipe their memories. Hotaru Imai and Ruka Nogi would stayed in the room, Ruka clinging and trying to awaken his broken girlfriend, unable to hear a heartbeat from her despite knowing she was alive and living-or was it denial telling him this? Natsume would never know that his classmates collapsed in the hall and Ruka collapsied on the ground as well.

He'd never know that Mikan, the girl, collected in her pocket more colorful stones which seemed to just add to her collection. And yet.. why was it.. that he felt that he still had his Fire with him?

He'd never know, since he'd be unconscious for the next few weeks while Mikan hid out with Persona and planned with their superiors a coupe d'tat. Oh, how ignorance was bliss. How the Academy seemed unable to control Class 2-B, and yet how amusing it was that they all would fall together at the hand of Mikan Sakura, a classmate?

Natsume let his dreams consume him for now. They were happier times than what would be waiting when he awoke.

_... to be continued.._

**I'M SORRY if you're frustrated with the ending of the chapter. xD I hope it won't take me six months to update again, but it's really tough to write sometimes, especially if I have so many AP classes lined up. So tell me what you think about the chapter! It's all over the place, from dorky funny to serious to suspenseful, I mean. What happened to Hotaru and Natsume!**

**Review please, I love hearing your comments and thoughts. Give me ideas if you can on what I should do for the next chapters. I want to direct this story for you guys and not make it something you dont' want to read ever again. Keep coming back~! Miki231, out, and thank you~!**


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